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THK    YOTTNG    JNTINCIBLES. -PAOE  111. 


PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME; 


THE    YOUNG    INVINCIBLES, 


BY  THE  AUTHOR  OF 
FEED  FKEELAND;  OH,  THE  CHAIN  OF  CIRCUMSTANCES. 


B  O  S-T  O  N  : 

~V.    SPENCER. 
1866. 


Entered,  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1866,  by 

WILLIAM    V.   SPENCER, 
In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  District  of  Massachusetts. 


NO.   4   SttlNO    LANE. 

Presswork  by  John  Wilson  and  Son. 


ALL  BOYS  AXD  GIRLS  WITH  LOYAL  HEARTS 
Cljtss  little  Volume 

IS  AFFECTIONATELY  DEDICATED. 


482987 

LIBRARY 


PREFACE. 


THE  leading  title  of  this  little  volume  was  selected  as  the 
subject  for  a  story  at  an  early  period  of  the  late  unhappy 
rebellion ;  but  circumstances  delayed  the  full  accomplishment 
of  the  design  until  the  present  time.  And  while  every  loyal 
heart  wells  up  its  overflowing  thanksgiving  to  the  Supreme 
Father  of  all  for  the  blessed  peace  that  now  rests  upon  the 
land,  still  the  writer  believes  there  is  to-day  the  same  neces- 
sity for  the  exercise  of  an  unfaltering  "  Patriotism  at  Home  " 
as  existed  during  the  terrible  clash  of  arms  that  shook  the 
Union  to  its  very  foundation,  and  threatened  destruction  to 
our  free  and  exemplary  institutions. 

Nor  is  it  to  the  statesman,  the  jurist,  the  divine,  the  voter, 
alone,  that  this  all-sustaining  principle  of  a  nation's  existence 
is  to  be  consigned,  but  every  American  Mother  of  the  present 
day  should  instil  into  the  mind  of  her  child  such  a  pure  love 
of  country  as  will  prove  a  perpetual  and  invulnerable  shield 
to  the  great  heart  of  the  nation  in  all  time  to  come,  for  the 

(5) 


6  PREFACE. 

destiny  of  this  great  republic  may  rest  with  the  rising  gen- 
eration. 

The  characters  who  figure  in  the  following  pages  are  left 
in  a  measure  free  to  perform  their  own  parts,  to  fight  their 
own  battles ;  and  if  any  one  of  them  should  be  so  fortunate 
as  to  "conquer  a  peace"  with  the  indulgent  reader,  the  re- 
sult, it  is  to  be  hoped,  may  prove  of  mutual  satisfaction  and 
benefit.  But  if,  in  some  instances,  age  seems  to  cast  off  the 
weight  of  years,  and  youth  clothes  itself  temporarily  in  the 
mantle  of  maturity,  the  critic  is  simply  reminded  that  when 
the  battle-field  claimed  nearly  all  the  able-bodied  men  of  the 
land,  the  maintenance  of  patriotism  at  home,  as  a  matter  of 
necessity,  devolved  upon  old  men  and  young  boys,  loyal- 
hearted  women  and  Union-loving  girls. 

Possessing  certain  knowledge  that  youthful  "  Patriotism  at 
Home"  was  in  nowise  restricted  to  the  "  Young  Invincibles  " 
during  the  terrible  struggle  for  our  national  existence,  this 
little  book  is  issued  with  a  moderate  hope  that  it  may  assist 
in  perpetuating  a  pure  love  of  country  in  the  breasts  of  the 
young,  while  it  shall  prove  not  altogether  devoid  of  interest 
to  the  general  reader. 

BOXBURY,  September,  18C6. 


CONTENTS. 


PAGE 

CHAP.  I.  —  Youthful  Patriots 9 

CHAP.  II.  —  A  Blight  Dash  of  Cold  Water. 18 

CHAP.  III.  —  An  Old  Man  with  a  Young  Heart 28 

CHAP.  IV.  —  A  Young  Boy  with  an  Old  Head.         ....  36 

CHAP.  V.  —  The  Colonel  makes  a  Proposition 43 

CHAP.  VI. —  The  Colonel  and  his  Wife 52 

CHAP.  VII.  —  Mother  and  Son. 60 

CHAP.  VIII.  —  George  makes  a  Promise «8 

CHAP.  IX.  —  War  Meeting 76 

CHAP.  X.  —  Tom  Sprightly  and  Booby  Chickens 88 

CHAP.  XL  — The  Young  Invincibles 101 

CHAP.  XII.  —  Neighborly  Duties 114 

CHAP.  XIII.  —  The  Advancement  of  the  "  Invincibles."        .       .  128 

CHAP.  XIV.  —  Mason  and  Slidell 141 

CHAP.  XV.  —  Uncle  Bill's  Story 150 

CHAP.  XVI.  —  The  Freshet 163 

CHAP.  XVII.  —  A  Dangerous  Passage .175 

CHAP.  XVIII.  —  Tom  goes  to  the  Rescue.                ....  191 

CHAP.  XIX.  —  The  House  of  Mourning .  206 


8  CONTENTS. 

CHAP.  XX.  —  The  Orphans 212 

CHAP.  XXI.  —  Reception  of  General  Howard.  .<t  .       .       .       .223 

CHAP.  XXII.  -  The  »  Launching." .    &0 

CHAP.  XXIII.  —  The  Wrestling  Match 247 

CHAP.  XXIV.  —  Crazy  Philip 264 

CHAP.  XXV.— Fire!    Fire!!   Fire!!! 272 

CHAP.  XXVI.  —  The  "  Invisibles  »  show  Fight.      .       .       .       .282 

CHAP.  XXVII.  —  The  Pirate  Tacony 294 

CHAP.  XXVIII.  —  Conclusion.  .   308 


PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME; 

OR, 

THE    YOUNG    INVINCIBLES. 


CHAPTER  I. 

YOUTHFUL   PATRIOTS. 

J  Tom !  have  you  heard  the  news  ?  "  cried 
a  st°u^  firmly-built  boy  of  fifteen  to  another 
lad  of  apparently  the  same  age,  as  the  two 
met  near  the  entrance  to  a  small  white  house  on  the 
main  street  of  the  village. 

"News?  No — what  is  it,  George?"  replied  the 
stripling  addressed,  who  stood  in  marked  contrast  to 
the  other  youth  as  regards  bodily  structure,  for  he 
was  tall  and  extremely  slender ;  but  his  flashing  eye 
and  quick  movements  indicated  an  activity  that  might 
in  a  great  degree  make  amends  for  any  deficiency  in 
muscular  strength. 

(9) 


10  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 

"  Why,  Fort  Sumter  has  been  captured  by  the 
rebels,  President  Lincoln  has  called  on  the  loyal  states 
for  volunteers,  and  the  whole  country  is  rushing  to 
arms." 

"  Peppermint  and  shoestrings  ! "  ejaculated  Tom 
Sprightly,  as  he  nearly  brought  George  Herrick  to 
the  ground  by  the  quick,  nervous  movement  with 
which  he  seized  him  by  the  collar  and  turned  his 
face  to  the  west,  as  if  to  read  the  truth  of  the  words 
he  had  just  heard  by  the  lingering  twilight  of  the 
April  day. 

"  Take  cafe,  Tom !  Don't  twitch  a  fellow  down  by 
any  of  your  sleight-of-hand  tricks.  You  know  I'm 
olumsy.  and  can't  always  come  upon  my  feet  in  fall- 
ing, like  you  and  a  cat." 

"  It's  lucky  for  you,  my  boy,  that  you  put  so  many 
words  between  Tom  and  cat,  or  I  should  have  taken 
offence  at  the  comparison.  But  I  ask  pardon,  George. 
I  know  better  than  to  play  any  tricks  on  you.  Now 
tell  me,  candidly  —  is  this  the  truth  about  Sumter  ?  " 

"  Yes,  Tom,  it  is  true  ;  and  the  matter  is  too  serious 
to  jest  about." 

"  So  I  think.  But  what  are  the  particulars?  How 
many  were  killed  in  the  fight  ?  " 

"None  killed  on  either  side  —  so  say  the  reports. 
Major  Anderson  and  his  handful  of  men  fought  bravely, 


THE    YOUNG  1NVINC1BLES.  11 

and  knocked  Fort  Moultrie  all  to  pieces.  But  the 
barracks,  at  Sumter,  were  soon  in  flames,  and  it  took 
most  of  the  men  to  keep  the  fire  away  from  the  maga- 
zine. Finally,  the  commander  decided  to  evacuate  on 
the  honorable  terms  offered." 

"  Peppermint  and  shoestrings  !  "  again  exclaimed 
Tom,  impatiently.  "  Why  didn't  our  government  send 
Major  Anderson  more  men  in  season?  I  don't  see." 

"  It  does  seem  strange  that  it  was  not  done,"  replied 
the  other  ;  "  but  then  I  suppose  the  government  knew 
best  what  to  do." 

"  Well,  this  country  is  in  for  a  big  fight  now,  any 
way,  George." 

"  I'm  afraid  so ;  but  the  South  Carolinia^  com- 
menced it  themselves,  and  have  aroused  the  whole 
North  ;  so  the  chivalry  must  look  out." 

"  If  I  were  only  sure  these  legs  of  mine  would  run 
the  right  way,"  said  Tom,  capering  around  his  com- 
panion, "I'd  stump  you  to  enlist  at  once,  George. 
They'll  stand  fire  pretty  well  in  the  kitchen-corner, 
when  aunt  Huldah  is  frying  doughnuts ;  but  I  don't 
know  how  they'd  behave  on  the  battle-field." 

,  "  Be  quiet — will  you,  you  jack-o'-lantern,  and  listen  ? 
Governor  Andrew,  of  Massachusetts,  has  a  regiment 
nearly  ready  to  march,  and  he  expects  to  have  them  in 
Washington  in  forty-eight  hours.  The  other  states 


12  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,   OR 

are  hard  at  work,  and  ours  won't  be  behindhand.  As 
for  myself,  Tom,  I'm  off  in  the  first  train  Monday 
morning  for  Boston,  to  enlist." 

"  Are  you,  though?  But  are  you  sure,  George,  that 
Colonel  White  will  give  his  consent?  I  don't  see  how 
he  is  going  to  get  along  without  you." 

"  Give  his  consent !  Why,  Tom,  I  should  expect  to 
receive  my  walking  papers  at  once,  if  I  did  not  show 
my  readiness  to  enlist.  I  know,  as  well  as  you  do, 
that  Colonel  White  has  been  in  favor  of  doing  every- 
thing that  could  be  done  with  safety  to  prevent  a  war 
with  the  South  ;  but  I  know,  too,  now  they  have  forced 
it  upon  us,  that  he  will  consider  it  every  one's  duty, 
who  is  able  to  carry  a  musket,  to  offer  his  services  for 
the  defence  of  his  country." 

"  How  about  your  mother?  Won't  she  have  some 
objection  to  make?" 

"  Not  a  word,  if  Colonel  White  favors  the  scheme." 

"  Well,  is  there  not  still  a  third  person  who  may 
want  you  to  remain  at  home?  Suppose  Lucy  White 
should  say,  'Don't  go,  George*  —  how  then?" 

"  Come,  come,  Tom,  none  of  that  nonsense,  if  you 
please,"  said  George,  somewhat  sharply. 

"  O,  I  ask  pardon,"  replied  the  other,  a  little  mis- 
chievously. "  But  I'll  tell  you  what,  George,  if  that 
*  nice  little  girl  thought  half  as  much  of  me  as  she  does 


THE    YOUNG   INVINCIBLES.  13 

of  you,  I  should  be  the  happiest  'Tom'  in  these  dis- 
United  States,  and  I  would  at  once  petition  to  have 
the  other  syllable  hitched  to  my  name,  with  an  addi- 
tional s." 

"  I  see  you  are  bound  to  have  your  joke,  Tom,  and 
there's  not  much  use  in  talking  to  you ;  but  you  may 
as  well  understand  now,  that  I  consider  myself —  as  I 
am  —  a  mere  boy,  and  have  never  had  any  serious 
thoughts  about  any  girl." 

"  Fifteen  years  old,  and  never  thought  seriously 
about  the  girls !  Why,  I  always  took  you  to  be  a 
'  Young  America ; '  but  I  shall  be  obliged  to  set  you 
down  as  an  '  Old  Fogy.'  Peppermint  and  shoestrings  ! 
I've  been  heels-overhead  in  love  half  a  dozen  times. 
And  you'd  better  believe  it's  awful,  I  tell  you." 

"  Stop  your  fooling,  for  once  —  will  you,  Tom?  I 
have  something  more  to  say  to  you." 

"Go  on  with  your  music  —  I'm  all  ears,  as  the 
donkey  said  to  the  organ-grinder." 

"  I  was  taken  under  Colonel  White's  protection 
about  three  years  ago,  —  as  you  well  know,  Tom, — 
a  poor,  ignorant,  good-for-nothing  boy ;  and  if  I  am 
any  better  now,  it  is  owing  to  the  kindness  and  gen- 
erosity of  those  good  people,  one  and  all.  I  have  been 
treated  just  as  well  as  if  I  had  been  a  member  of  the 
family,  and  have  had  all  the  advantages  of  a  good 


14  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 

school,  which  I  hope  I  have  not  wholly  neglected. 
Now,  I  think  I  can  show  my  gratitude  for  all  this  in 
no  better  way  than  by  enlisting  at  once  in  my  country's 
service  in  this  hour  of  danger,  as  I  know  Colonel  White 
himself  would  freely  do  if  his  old  age  did  not  make  it 
wholly  out  of  the  question.  You  understand  me,  Tom. 
So  now  for  a  talk  with  the  colonel,  and  then  an  early 
start  Monday  morning.  I  am  rather  young,  I  suppose, 
but  am  strong  and  tough,  and  my  country  calls  me." 

"  Then  you  are  really  in  earnest  about  going,  George  ! 
Well,  listen  to  me,  now.  Just  about  a  year  ago  you 
saved  my  life,  at  the  risk  of  your  own,  by  rescuing  me 
from  Squire  Belmont's  bull,  whose  fury  I  had  aroused 
by  some  of  my  foolish  pranks.  I  said  to  myself,  at 
that  "time,  '  I'll  stand  by  George  Herrick  as  long  as  I 
live '  —  and  I  mean  to  do  it.  So,  if  you  are  going  to 
pitch  into  the  rebels,  I'm  going  too.  You  can  do  the 
fighting,  and  I'll  do  the  running.  Peppermint  and 
shoestrings !  won't  I  show  those  rascally  secessionists 
my  heels  ?  —  after  this  sort ; "  and,  throwing  a  forward 
somerset,  he  brought  his  feet  so  near  his  companion's 
head  as  to  cause  him  to  spring  suddenly  aside,  with  the 
exclamation,  — 

"  Come,  come,  Tom ;  none  of  your  capers  here,  if 
you  please.  Just  wait  till  you  meet  the  rebels,  and 
give  them  a  chance  to  shoot  at  you  flying  —  for  you 


THE   YOUNG  INVINCIBLE S.  15 

will  never  remain  in  one  place  long  enough  to  be 
sighted." 

"  What  are  a  fellow's  legs  given  to  him  for,  if  they 
are  not  to  be  used  ?  I  should  like  to  know,"  replied 
Tom,  as  he  leaped  over  the  fence  beside  the  gate  with 
the  ease  of  a  deer.  "  Come,  now  for  a  race  from  here 
to  Colonel  White's !  I'll  run  round  you  ten  times, 
throw  six  somersets,  stand  three  times  on  my  head, 
dance  a  hornpipe,  chat  with  every  girl  I  meet  on  the 
street,  and  report  the  news  —  of  the  war,  not  of  the 
girls  —  to  the  colonel  before  you  get  in  sight  of  the 
house.  Come  on,  my  boy!"  and  away  the  rattling 
fellow  sped  up  the  street,  like  a  race-horse,  in  the 
direction  of  .Colonel  White's.  But  noticing  that  his 
companion  continued  at  his  usual  gait,  he  soon  came 
bounding  back  to  his  side  again,  exclaiming,  — 

"  What  a  regular  '  slow  coach '  you  are,  George 
Herrick !  Perhaps  you  don't  like  the  odds  I  offered 
you  for  a  race?  Well,  then,  I'll  throw  in  half  a 
'ozen  more  somersets  ; "  and  over  he  whirled,  like  an 
experienced  circus  performer. 

"  What  a  confounded  dust  you  kick  up,  Tom  I  Why 
don't  you  join  some  circus  or  menagerie  ?  " 

"  The  fact  is,  George,  I  did  offer  my  services  to  one 
chap  that  came  along  here  with  circus  and  menagerie 
together ;  and  he  took  me  on  trial  for  half  an  hour. 


16  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 

But  the  plaguy  monkeys  were  so  jealous  of  my  per- 
formances, that  the  man  was  afraid  I  would  make 
trouble  in  the  family,  by  proving  to  be  the  smartest 
one  in  the  lot.  And  so,  you  see,  I  didn't  get  an 
engagement.  I  felt  so  bad  about  it  that  I  turned 
somersets  all  one  afternoon ; "  and  over  he  whirled 
a^ain. 

"Well,  you  needn't  turn  any  more  here,"  said 
George ;  and  he  attempted  to  place  his  hand  on  the 
shoulder  of  his  erratic  companion. 

"  Guess  not !  You  won't  get  that  lion's  paw  on 
me  in  a  hurry;"  and  the  nimble  youth  was  many 
feet  distant  in  a  moment. 

"  Upon  my  word,  Tom,  you  are  too  bad.  I  really 
believe  you  would  be  full  of  your  nonsense  if  you  were 
going  to  a  funeral." 

"  O,  no  ;  not  quite  so  bad  as  that.  You  saw  me  at 
a  funeral  once,  George,  and  I'm  sure  I  wasn't  full  of 
nonsense  then." 

The  tone  and  manner  of  the  frolicsome  lad  were 
now  wrholly  changed. 

"  Forgive  me,  Tom.  I  didn't  mean  to  hurt  your 
feelings.  Don't  believe  me  so  cruel." 

"  Never  mind,  George.  I  know  you  didn't  think  of 
that  funeral  when  you  spoke.  There's  no  harm  done, 
however.  I  need  a  word  once  in  a  while  to  sober  me 


THE    TOUNG  INVINCIBLE S.  17 

down.  But  let  me  tell  you,  George,  I  do  have  some 
sober  moments  as  well  as  other  folks,  and  if  I  should 
give  way  to  my  feelings,  I  should  be  awful  blue  at 
times.  I  have  no  nearer  relative  than  my  aunt.  I 
often  think  of  the  day  when  I  followed  my  dear 
mother  to  her  grave.  I  shall  never  forget  it.  I  lost 
my  best  friend  when  my  mother  died.  True,  I  have 
a  good  home  at  my  aunt's ;  but  no  one  can  fill  the 
place  of  that  mother.  George,  I  am  sober  for  the 
present." 

The  two  boys  now  proceeded  up 'the  street,  arm  in 
arm,  to  communicate  the  war  news  to  Colonel  White, 
and  to  lay  before  him  their  plans  for  joining  the 
volunteers. 

The  foregoing  scene  occurred  in  the  old  village  of 
Harryseekit,  a  seaport  town  in  one  of  the  New  Eng- 
land States,  on  a  memorable  evening  plainly  indicated 
by  some  portions  of  the  preceding  conversation. 
2 


18  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 


CHAPTER  II. 

A  SLIGHT  DASH   OF   COLD  WATER. 

'ELL,  George,  what's  the  news  this  evening?" 
'  inquired  Colonel  White,  as  our  two  young 
patriots  entered  that  gentleman's  house,  a 
few  minutes  after  the  family  had  risen  from  the  tea- 
table.  "  I  was  just  thinking  that  something  of  impor- 
tance must  have  transpired,  as  you  did  not  return  from 
the  Corner  with  your  usual  promptness.  —  Tom,  take 
a  chair." 

"  You  thought  right,  sir,"  replied  George  Herrick. 
"  The  news  is  of  the  most  exciting  character ;  but  I 
hardly  know  whether  it  should  be  considered  good  or 
bad." 

"  Indeed  !  What  may  it  be  ?  "  questioned  the  colonel, 
in  a  most  anxious  manner.  "  I  need  not  ask,  however, 
for  I  have  felt  all  along  that  Fort  Sumter  must  fall. 
Is  it  so?" 

"  It  is  true." 

"Any  particulars?" 


THE    TOUNG   INVINCIBLE S.  19 

"  Mr.  Bayley  has  received  three  despatches  from  a 
friend  in  Boston,  during  the  afternoon,  giving  a  brief 
description  of  the  fight,  and  finally  of  the  surrender  of 
Sumter ; "  and  George  repeated  the  facts  as  already 
related  by  him  to  Tom  Sprightly  in  the  preceding 
chapter,  with  the  additional  rumor  that  the  rebels  were 
about  to  march  on  Washington. 

"  It  is  hard  to  feel  reconciled  to  this,"  said  the 
old  gentleman,  springing  energetically  to  his  feet,  and 
walking  rapidly  up  and  down  the  room  a  number  of 
times  after  the  youth  had  finished  his  brief  statement 
of  the  affair.  "It  is  hard  to  feel  reconciled  to  this," 
he  repeated  ;  "  hard  indeed.  —  But  what  am  I  saying? 
'It  is  all  right  —  all  for  the  best.  Why  should  I  doubt 
at  this  late  day  of  my  life  ?  What  do  we  short-sighted 
mortals  know  about  it?  Our  heavenly  Father  ruleth 
all  things  for  the  best.  We  must  wait  patiently  —  and 
trust." 

"  It  seems  a  terrible  thing  for  men  to  fire  on  their 
own  flag,"  remarked  George. 

"The  strength  of  all  governments  must  be  tested 
sooner  or  later,"  replied  the  colonel,  "  and  our  fiery 
onleal  has  come.  Fort  Sumter  in  the  hands  of  the 
rebels,  and  the  madcaps  threatening  to  march  on 
Wa^liin'jton  !  Foolish,  mistaken  South  !  Little  do 
they  dream  of  the  vast  military  power  that  lies  dor- 


20  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 

mant  in  the  North  and  West,  which  this  treasonable 
course  will  immediately  awaken.  It  matters  not  in 
what  light  the  leaders  in  the  South  endeavor  to  pre- 
sent the  facts,  —  the  position  is  a  treasonable  one,  and 
the  whole  world,  ay,  Heaven  itself,  will  pronounce 
their  doom." 

"  The  doom  of  all  traitors,  I  hope,"  responded 
George  Ilerrick,  with  emphasis. 

"  Yes,"  continued  the  old  gentleman ;  "  it  can  be 
nothing  less.  A  president  of  these  United  States  was 
lawfully  elected  last  November,  in  precisely  the  same 
manner  that  all  previous  presidents  have  been 
chosen,  —  by  a  perfectly  free  expression  of  the  will 
of  the  people  through  the  ballot-box,  as  provided  by 
the  constitution,  —  and  they,  a  minority,  at  once  set 
themselves  to  work  to  disrupt  and  destroy  the  best  gov- 
ernment on  earth,  instead  of  acquiescing  peacefully 
in  their  defeat,  and  manfully  preparing  themselves 
to  try  to  bring  about  a  change  in  the  administration 
four  years  hence !  A  scheme  so  utterly  senseless, 
high-handed,  and  base,  was  never  before  concocted  by 
short-sighted,  impious  man.  Heaven  grant  that  they 
may  yet  come  to  their  senses  ere  it  be  too  late  !  And 
this  is  the  chivalric  South  !  No  ;  I  will  not  believe  it. 
It  is  the  work  of  a  few  discontented,  aspiring  dema- 
gogues. The  idea  that  the  majority  of  the  southern 


THE    YOUNG  INVINCIBLE S.  21 

people  would,  of  their  own  free  will,  desert  the  con- 
stitution and  the  old  flag,  I  cannot  believe." 

"  Do  you  think,  sir,  there  is  any  course  left  for  our 
government  now  except  to  call  for  a  sufficient  military 
force  to  put  down  this  rebellion  ?  "  inquired  George. 

"  No,  no ;  it  is  the  only  thing  to  be  done  now. 
Nothing  else  can  save  our  republic.  The  rebels  have 
invited  the  arbitration  of  the  sword,  and  by  it  they 
must  stand  or  fall.  And  there  can  be  no  child's  play 
about  it,  either.  The  war  must  be  prosecuted  with  the 
utmost  vigor  until  every  rebel  lays  down  his  arms  and 
returns  peaceably  to  his  home.  Then  our  government 
may  talk  to  them  —  not  before." 

"  Yes,  sir ;  I  think  that  is  the  way  all  loyal  people 
will  look  at  this  matter,"  rejoined  the  lad. 

"  You  are  right,  George.  And  they  must  not  only 
look,  but  act.  Let  me  see  —  I  shall  be  seventy-eight 
in  about  ten  days.  Too  old,  too  old,  I  fear,  for  any 
active  service  —  am  I  not,  dear  ?  "  said  the  venerable 
soldier,  as  he  turned  to  his  wife,  a  few  years  his 
junior,  who  had  been  a  silent  listener  thus  far. 

"Yes,  yes,  my  husband,  I  think  you  are  a  little  too 
old  to  enlist.  I  hardly  believe  you  would  pass  muster, 
even  were  you  to  dye  these  tell-tale  locks,"  replied  his 
amiable  old  companion,  gently  smoothing  her  hus- 
band's "  silvered  hairs." 


22  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OB 

"  Yes,  Colonel  White,  though  you're  very  smart  for 
your  years,  yet  it  would  never  do  for  you  to  join  the 
army ;  so  George  and  I  have  made  up  our  minds  to 
go  in  your  stead.  '  Old  men  for  counsel,  young  men 
for  war,' "  said  Tom  Sprightly,  as  he  jumped  up  and 
marched  across  the  room,  with  a  ludicrous  attempt  at 
a  military  air.  Halting  before  Lucy  White,  who  was 
seated  near  her  grandmother,  he  continued,  "  Don't 
you  think,  Miss  Lucy,  that  George  and  I  together 
•would  make  a  very  good  substitute  for  your  grand- 
father?" 

"  Why,  Tom,"  replied  Lucy,  mischievously,  "  if 
there  is  any  running  to  be  done,  somersets  to  be 
turned,  or  '  peppermint  and  shoestrings '  to  be  looked 
after,  in  the  army,  I  think  you  would  be  worth  a 
dozen  grandfathers." 

"  And  if  there  are  any  heads  to  be  turned,  or  heart- 
strings to  be  broken,"  retorted  Tom,  in  a  mock  indig- 
nant tone,  "yo?t,  Miss  Lucy,  would  make  a  right 
smart '  daughter  of  the  regiment.'  " 

"Come,  come,"  said  the  colonel,  laughing,  in  spite 
of  himself,  "  you  two  young  rattleheads  make  sport 
out  of  everything.  Tom,  you  young  villain,  come 
here,  and  stop  your  training." 

"  Stop  my  training,  Colonel  White  !  "  exclaimed 
Tom,  with  feigned  surprise,  walking  back  to  his 


THE    YOUNG   LXTVINCIBLES.  23 

seat ;  "  why,  I  thought  '  training '  was  the  very  thing 
that  made  good  soldiers." 

"The  first  thing  a  good  soldier  learns,  Tom,  is 
strict  obedience  to  orders,"  rejoined  the  old  gentleman, 
smiling;  "and  I  command  you  to  remain  perfectly 
quiet  for  the  next  ten  minutes  —  if  it's  a  possible 
thing." 

"  O,  that's  easy  enough ;  I  kept  still  ten  minutes 
and  a  half  the  other  evening,  when  aunt  Huldah  set 
rue  to  picking  over  the  raisins  for  a  plum-pudding," 
replied  Tom,  at  once  assuming  a  very  serious  ex- 
pression of  countenance. 

"  Now,  George,"  said  Colonel  White,  "  I  want  you 
to  tell  me  if  there's  anything  in  what  Tom  has  just 
said  about  your  idea  of  enlisting?  Have  you  talked 
the  matter  over  seriously,  or  is  it  only  oue  of  that 
madcap's  jokes  ?  " 

"  We  have  talked  the  matter  over  seriously,  sir ; 
and,  as  far  as  /  am  concerned,  my  mind  is  fully  made 
up,  and  I  want  only  your  consent,  to  start  for  Boston 
Monday  morning  to  join  one  of  the  regiments  there, 
so  as  to  be  in  Washington  at  the  earliest  moment.  I 
have  been  thinking  of  this  all  the  time  this  trouble  has 
been  brewing.  I  have  no  doubt  that  Tom  is  equally 
in  earnest,  though  he  always  mixes  up  so  much  non- 
sense with  everything,  that  one  wants  to  know  him  as 


24  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 

•well  as  I  do  to  tell  whether  he  means  -what  he  says  or 
not.  I  think  his  heart  is  in  the  right  place,  but  it  is  a 
very  crooked  path  that  leads  to  it." 

"  If  I  wasn't  under  guard,  George,  I'd  thank  you 
for  that '  crooked '  compliment ;  it's  a  good  deal  better 
than  none,"  said  Tom,  dryly. 

"I  give  you  your  liberty  now,  Tom,"  said  the 
colonel ;  "  only  use  it  with  discretion.  As  George 
and  you  seem  to  have  acted  together  in  this  matter, 
I  shall  talk  to  you  both  with  regard  to  it.  But  you, 
Tom,  will  of  course  be  at  liberty  to  ask  the  advice  of 
those  who  have  much  more  right  than  I  to  give  you 
counsel." 

"  I  think  more  of  your  advice,  Colonel  White,  than 
of  any  other,"  said  Tom,  soberly. 

"  I  admit,  boys,  that  I  am  highly  pleased  with  the 
spirit»and  patriotism  that  have  so  manifestly  prompted 
you  thus  to  step  forward  at  the  very  earliest  moment 
to  respond  to  your  country's  call.  I  am  gratified, 
because  it  not  only  proves  that  you  are  made  of  the 
right  material,  but  it  convinces  me  that  where  mere 
boys  show  such  Spirit,  there  will  be  no  lack  of  men  to 
stand  by  their  country  in  her  hour  of  peril. 

"  But,  my  young  friends,  notwithstanding  I  commend 
this  display  of  promptness  on  your  part,  still  I  must  say, 
decidedly,  that  I  cannot  give  my  consent  to  your  enlist- 


THE    YOUNG   INVINCIBLES.  25 

ing  at  this  time.  There  are  many  objections  to  it,  all 
growing  out  of  this  one  —  you  are  much  too  young. 
No  one  should  enter  the  ranks  under  eighteen  years  of 
age.  The  bone  and  sinew  have  no  power  of  endurance 
that  can  be  depended  upon  at  an  earlier  age.  I  had  an 
opportunity  to  see  the  folly  of  having  boys  in  the  army 
during  the  war  of  1812. 

"  Now,  neither  of  you  is  much  more  than  fifteen. 
It  is  not  your  duty  to  enlist ;  neither  would  it  be  for 
your  country's  good  should  you  do  so.  But  there  are 
duties  here  at  home  that  you  can  perform  nearly  as 
well  as  men,  that  will  be  of  far  more  service  to  your 
country,  probably,  than  anything  you  could  do  in  the 
field ;  and  these  duties  I  shall  be  happy  to  explain  to 
you  at  no  distant  day. 

"  And,  boys,  unless  I'm  greatly  mistaken,  this  terri- 
ble war  that  is  about  to  commence  will  last  so  long 
that  there  will  be  no  objection,  on  account  of  your  age, 
to  your  shouldering  a  musket.  Then,  you  can  do  your 
country  good  service  in  the  army ;  whereas,  if  you 
should  enlist  now,  a  few  weeks'  or  months'  service 
would  completely  break  you  down  —  thus  depriving 
the  country  of  your  assistance  ever  after." 

Both  boys  remained  silent  for  some  moments  after 
the  colonel  ceased  speaking.  Evidently  they  had  not 
been  prepared  for  the  opinion  just  expressed.  They 


26  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 

looked  at  each  other  a  little  uneasily.  George  was  the 
first  to  speak. 

"Colonel  White,"  said  he,  "I  am  greatly  disap- 
pointed. My  heart  was  set  upon  this  thing.  I  could 
not  have  given  it  up  by  the  advice  of  any  man  but  you. 
I  have  always  found  that  you  knew  what  was  for  the 
best ;  and  I  shall  follow  your  advice  in  this  case.  But 
let  me  do  all  I  can  here  at  home  for  the  benefit  of  those 
who  do  enlist,  and  to  help  the  good  cause." 

"I  am  very  sorry  that  you  are  so  much  disap- 
pointed, George,"  replied  the  old  gentleman,  in  a 
sympathetic  manner ;  "  but  I  know  you  will,  as 
usual,  take  a  sensible  view  of  the  matter." 

"And  I,  too,  am  much  disappointed,"  said  Tom. 
"  I  believe  I  was  never  so  much  in  earnest  about  any- 
thing in  my  life  ;  though  George  started  the  project,  or 
I  should  not  have  thought  of  it,  probably.  But  if  he 
can  stand  the  disappointment,  I  guess  I  can  do  the 
same.  Somehow,  I  feel  that  I  am  pretty  nearly  right 
when  I  do  as  George  does.  I'm  determined  to  do 
something,  though,  to  tell  against  those  rascally 
rebels.  Peppermint  and  shoestrings !  I  won't  give 
that  up." 

"  There  will  be  plenty  to  do  here,  and  exciting  work 
too,"  replied  the  colonel,  "  and  I  expect  much  from 
you  two  young  patriots." 


THE    YOUNG    IXVINCIBLES.  27 

As  the  two  boys  were  about  to  leave,  Lucy  White 
inquired,  — 

"  How  is  your  little  cousin  Mary,  to-day,  Tom?" 

"  O,  she  is  nicely,  now." 

"I'm  glad  to  hear  it.  .1  think  the  croup  is  ter- 
rible." 

"  Yes,  it  is ;   and  it  runs  in  our  family,"  rejoined 
Tom,  very  soberly.     "  My  great-grandmother  died  of ; 
.  it  when  she  was  about  two  years  old." 

"  O,  you  rattle-brain  ! "  exclaimed  the  young  girl. 
But  Tom  was  off.  "  Do  you  know,  grandmother," 
continued  Lucy,  turning  to  the  old  lady,  "  that  Tom 
Sprightly  is  one  of  the  kindest-hearted  boys  that  ever 
lived,  for  all  he  is  so  wild  ?  His  aunt  told  me  that  he 
staid  by  her  little  sick  girl's  bedside  one  whole  day  and 
night,  and  waited  on  her  as  tenderly  as  she  herself 
could  have  done." 

"  I  know,  darling,  Mrs.  French  says  he  is  always 
very  kind ;  but  he  is  forever  playing  off  some  of  his 
pranks.  He  isn't  much  like  George." 


28  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 


CHAPTER    in. 

AN   OLD   MAN  "WITH   A  YOUNG  HEART. 

(/f^OLONEL  WHITE  was  fast  approaching  his 
(1  jjy\  seventy-eighth  year,  and  had  been  a  resident 
of  Harryseekit  for  upwards  of  half  a  .century. 
He  was  an  active,  benevolent,  straightforward  man, 
whose  energy  of  character  and  unwavering  integrity 
had  often  placed  him  foremost  in  movements  of  public 
interest.  He  had  served  his  country  with  honor  and 
distinction  in  the  war  of  1812,  when  he  entered  the 
army  as  a  private,  and  won  his  colonel's  commission 
before  the  close  of  the  second  year  of  his  service. 
With  a  constitution  naturally  good,  with  habits  of  the 
strictest  temperance,  united  with  a  cheerful  disposition 
and  a  whole-souled  benevolence,  he  was  now,  at  this 
advanced  age,  more  active  and  enterprising  than  many 
a  much  younger  man.  He  was  not  wealthy,  as  this 
word  is  generally  defined ;  but  there  was  a  wealth  of 
contentment  and  benevolence  in  his  truly  Christian 
breast,  that  shed  little  rays  of  peace  and  happiness 


THE    YOUNG   1NVINCIBLES.  29 

upon  all  with  whom  he  came  in  contact  in  his  every- 
day walks  of  life. 

Colonel's  White's  residence  was  half  a  mile  from  the 
chief  village  of  the  town,  known  as  the  "  Corner,"  on 
the  county  road.  It  was  an  old-fashioned  one-story 
building,  so  spacious  on  the  ground  that  his 
years  ago,  whose  sleeping  apartments  were  ii 
northerly  part  of  the  house,  always  spoke  of  going  uj 
to  "  Burrville  "  —  the  next  village  —  when  intending  to 
retire  for  the  night.  It  was  a  substantial,  convenient, 
and  exceedingly  comfortable  dwelling.  Everything 
was  neat  and  orderly  about  the  house  and  garden. 
The  barn  and  other  out-houses  were  noticeable  for 
their  studied  good  arrangements  in  every  particular, 
which  showed  that  their  owner  did  nothing  by  the 
halves,  and  that  the  comfort  of  his  domestic  creatures 
was  not  lost  sight  of  by  him.  His  farm  was  small,  in 
a  high  state  of  cultivation,  and  an  appearance  of  thrift 
mai-ked  every  part  of  it. 

The  house,  standing  upon  land  somewhat  elevated, 
overlooked  an  extensive  "  Interval,"  a  short  distance  to 
the  east,  through  which  glided  two  gentle  streams  of 
water,  running  parallel,  and  quite  near  each  other; 
one  having  its  origin  in  numerous  springs,  many  miles 
away,  while  the  source  of  the  other  was  a  large  pond, 
situated  in  the  upper  part  of  the  town.  Both  are 


30  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 

insignificant  streams,  except  in  the  spring  of  the  year, 
when  they  sometimes  overflow  their  banks,  and  become 
one  sheet  of  water,  extending  over  the  entire  length 
and  breadth  of  the  Interval,  which  abounds  with 
stately  elms. 

The  colonel  owned  a  shipyard  at  a  distant  part  of 

*TT   f    , 

town,  and  had  a  few  thousand  dollars  invested  in 
iment  stocks,  so  that  he  was  in  easy  circum- 

mces.  His  acts  of  benevolence,  however,  would 
have  been  creditable  to  a  man  of  much  greater  means. 
No  deserving  person  ever  asked  assistance  of  him  in 
vain,  nor  was  any  really  charitable  object  that  came  to 
his  knowledge,  however  private,  allowed  to  pass  un- 
heeded. He  knew  the  secret  of  true  happiness  — 
making  others  happy,  A  simple  rule,  youthful  reader, 
but  it  works  out  incalculable  good. 

Colonel  White  had  raised  a  family  of  five  sons,  four 
of  whom  were  still  living,  but  all  long  since  married, 
having  families  of  their  own,  and  residing  at  various 
distances  from  the  old  homestead,  which  was  now 
occupied  only  by  the  colonel,  his  wife,  and  their  grand- 
daughter Lucy,  a  bright  and  cheerful  little  girl  of 
twelve.  But  we  will  take  the  reader  back  some- 
thing like  three  years,  for  the  purpose  of  explaining 
the  circumstances  that  induced  Colonel  White  to  be- 
come the  patron  of  George  Herrick. 


THE    TOUNG   INVINCIBLES.  31 

At  this  time  the  old  gentleman  owned  a  young 
horse,  a  very  fine  animal,  and  generally  well  behaved, 
though,  like  most  youngsters,  he  occasionally  took  a 
notion  into  his  head  to  cut  up  someKttle  caper, 
probably  thinking  it  all  harmless  enouglHTHowever, 
no  serious  accident  had  ever  occurred  through  any  of 
his  frolics ;  and  his  master  considered  him  perfectly 
reliable,  although  Mrs.  White  preferred  the  morm| 
sedate  horse,  "  Old  Noll."  She  said  her  bones  were 
too  old  (she  was  five  years  younger  than  the  colo- 
nel) to  risk  them  by  riding  behind  "  Dancing  Jim  "  — 
a  name  early  applied  to  the  colt  by  the  old  lady. 

It  was  a  pleasant  afternoon  in  the  spring  of  the  year, 
and  the  colonel,  having  business  down  to  the  "  Point," 
at  the  shipyard,  harnessed  up  the  colt,  and  invited  his 
wife  to  take  a  seat  with  him  in  the  chaise.  The  old 
lady,  however,  pleasantly  declined  the  invitation,  re- 
marking that  she  would  embrace  some  early  oppor- 
tunity to  ride,  when  Old  Noll  was  to  be  the  motive 
power.  So  the  invitation  was  transferred  to  Lucy, 
then  about  nine  years  old,  who  soou  occupied  the  seat 
in  the  chaise  beside  her  grandfather,  having  no  fears 
concerning  Dancing  Jim,  so  long  as  she  was  to  be 
partner  in  the  dance.  The  old  gentleman  gave  the 
word,  and  the  colt  was  off  in  a  moment.  Mrs.  White 
stood  in  the  doorway  a  few  minutes,  looking  after  the 


32  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 

fast  disappearing  vehicle,  and  then,  turning  into  the 
house,  said  to  herself,  "  I  do  wish  my  dear  husband 
would  sell  that  young  horse,  for  I  never  feel  at  ease 
when  he^^^riving  him.  He  is  a  pretty  creature,  I 
know,  aj^Mrerybody  admires  him ;  so  I  don't  like  to 

matter  about  selling  him." 

icing  Jim  behaved  himself  remarkably  well  over 
road  to  the  Point  —  a  distance  of  four  miles  — 
showing  no  restlessness  whatever,  except  when  some 
other  horse  attempted  to  pass  him.  This  he  would 
never  allow ;  and  in  this  whim  the  colonel  was  very 
willing  to  humor  him. 

Lucy  enjoyed  the  ride  very  much  ;  but  then  life  was 
all  enjoyment  to  her.  Why  should  it  not  be?  Having 
never  heard  aught  but  gentle  and  pleasant  words  be- 
tween her  grandfather  and  grandmother  ;  having  never 
witnessed  other  than  kind  and  generous  acts  between 
themselves  and  towards  their  neighbors ;  and  having 
ever  received  from  them  the  tenderest  and  most 
thoughtful  treatment,  coupled  with  conscientious  and 
wise  counsel,  with  regard  both  to  her  worldly  and 
spiritual  welfare",  —  why  should  she  have  been  other 
than  a  pleasant  and  happy  little  girl,  imparting  pleas- 
ure and  happiness  to  others?  If  her  grandparents  — 
who  certainly  must  be  experiencing  some  of  the  in- 
firmities of  advanced  age  —  could  be  almost  uniformly 


THE    YOUNG   INVINCIBLES.  33 

cheerful  and  pleasant,  why  should  not  she  be  happy, 
and  thankful  to  her  Maker,  blessed  as  she  was  with 
youth  and  health,  and  surrounded  and  cared  for  by 
the  kindest  of  friends? 

Lucy  was  an  orphan  *  it  is  true ;  bu^^^  parents 
died  when  she  was  so  young  that  she  nevef^dalized 
her  loss.  She-  was  the  only  child  of  Colonel  White's 
youngest  son,  who  died  when  Lucy  was  about  twoi 
years  old.  In  less  than  a  year  her  mother,  also,  was 
buried ;  and  the  little  orphan  was  thus  early  left  in 
the  charge  of  her  grandparents.  But  Lucy  was  not 
spoiled  by  this  disposal.  Far  from  it.  The  truly  good 
old  couple  fully  realized  the  weight  of  their  charge, 
and  faithfully  performed  their  duty,  as  parents  and 
Christians,  towards  their  little  granddaughter. 

But  to  return  to  the  ride.  A  little  over  half  an 
hour  brought  them  to  the  shipyard ;  and,  while  Colo- 
nel White  was  attending  to  his  business,  Lucy  in- 
terested herself  in  watching  the  ship  carpenters,  in 
their  various  labors  upon  the  vessel  on  the  stocks,  in 
process  of  construction.  She  had  visited  the  ship- 
yard a  number  of  times  beftfre ;  but  she  had  never 
seen  so  large  a  vessel  wholly  out  of  the  water,  and 
was  surprised  at  the  massiveness  of  the  structure. 
It  was  a  ship  of  nearly  a  thousand  tons.  Whilst  she 
stood  wondering  how  the  large  timbers  had  ever  been 


34  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 

put  into  their  proper  places  in  the  ship's  hull,  a  dozen 
or  more  of  the  workmen  came  along  near  the  spot 
where  she  was  standing,  and,  stooping,  all  together 
took  hold^rf  a  long  and  heavy  piece  of  timber,  that 
lay  upon  the  •' ground  ;  wheu,  at  the  word  "now,"  they 
lifted  it  with  perfect  ease,  placed  it  upon  their  shoulders, 
marched  off  with  it  to  another  part  of  the  yard. 

At  this  moment  Colonel  White  came  up  to  Lucy, 
in  company  with  the  master  workman,  having  trans- 
acted the  business  that  brought  him  to  the  shipyard. 
The  little  girl  directed  his  attention  to  the  men  who 
were  walking  off  with  the  stick  of  timber,  saying,  — 

"I've  been  wondering,  grandfather,  how  they  put 
such  great  timbers  as  I  see  in  that  ship's  frame  into 
their  places ;  but  it  is  all  plain  now." 

"  Yes,"  replied  the  old  gentleman,  "  '  in  union  there 
is  strength.'  Now,  those  men,  individually,  could  have 
done  nothing  with  that  large  timber ;  but  all  together 
they  can  do  with  it  as  they  please.  So  with  thte 
blessed  country  of  ours.  The  states,  individually,  are 
weak  and  powerless ;  but  united,  they  are  a  powerful 
and  prosperous  nation." 

"  I  think  I  see  now,  grandfather,  better  than  I  ever 
did  before,  what  you  mean  when  you  talk  about  the 
'  strength  of  the  Union.'  I  guess  it's  when  the  people 
of  all  the  states  keep  together,  and  lift  at  the  same 


THE   YOUNG  INVINCIBLE S.  35 

time,  just    as    those    carpenters  lifted   the  piece  of 
timber." 

"  That's  it,  exactly  ! "  exclaimed  the  colonel,  delight- 
edly, who  never  let  an  opportunity  pass,  unimproved 
of  imparting  to  the  young  a  love  of  countiy.  "  But  I 
fear  that  at  this  very  moment  some  men  are  so 
foolish,  or  wicked,  as  to  advise  the  states  to  '  lift '  one 
by  one ;  but  should  this  unwise  step  ever  be  taken, 
some  of  the  weaker  ones  will  be  sure  to  break  tlieir 
own  backs." 


36  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 


CHAPTER    IV. 

A  YOUNG   BOY  WITH   AN   OLD   HEAD. 

)LONEL  WHITE  and  Lucy  were  soon  re- 
seated in  the  chaise,  and  Dancing  Jim  was 
making  good  time  on  his  way  home.  They 
had  proceeded  less  than  half  a  mile,  when,  on  ap- 
proaching a  frame  building  that  had  been  recently 
erected,  and  on  which  three  or  four  men  were  at 
work,  he  began  to  prick  up  his  ears,  and  show  his 
propensity  for  "  dancing" —  started,  probably,  by  the 
glancing  sunshine  upon  the  newly-hewn  timbers  of  the 
frame.  The  colonel  spoke  coaxingly  and  gently  to 
him,  and  he  seemed  to  be  recovering  from  his  fright ; 
but  when  they  were  directly  opposite  the  building,  one 
of  the  men  threw  down  a  long,  wide  board  upon  a  pile 
of  the  same  material,  making  a  loud,  sharp  report. 
This  was  too  much  for  the  nerves  of  Dancing  Jim, 
and,  seizing  the  bit  firmly  between  his  teeth,  he  was 
off  in  a  moment,  at  the  speed  of  a  locomotive. 
The  old  gentleman  always  kept  his  carriage  and 


THE    YOUNG  INVINC1BLES.  37 

harness  in  the  very  best  order,  and  consequently  he 
felt  safe  in  that  respect,  if  he  could  keep  clear  of  col- 
lisions. He  hoped  to  be  able  to  retain  sufficient  control 
over  his  horse  to  guide  him  in  the  road,  if  nothing 
more,  and  braced  himself  for  that  purpose,  cautioning 
Lucy,  at  the  same  time,  to  remain  quietly  in  her  seat, 
and  to  hold  firmly  by  the  strap  at  the  side  of  the 
chaise.  By  pulling  suddenly  and  alternately  on  one 
rein  and  the  other,  the  colonel  endeavored  to  wrench 
the  bit  from  the  horse's  teeth  back  into  its  proper 
place.  But  the  animal's  jaws  were  set  as  firmly  as  a 
vice,  and  he  could  not  accomplish  the  object.  Colonel 
White  glanced  anxiously  at  Lucy ;  but  the  little  girl 
behaved  remarkably  well.  She  neither  screamed  nor 
troubled  her  grandfather  by  catching  hold  of  his  arms. 
The  highway  was  smooth,  broad,  level,  and,  for 
something  more  than  a  mile,  nearly  straight ;  but  this 
portion  of  the  road  they  were  passing  over  almost  with 
the  swiftness  of  the  wind.  At  the  termination  of  the 
distance  named,  the  road  turned  suddenly  to  the  right, 
and  a  brook  was  crossed  by  a  short  wooden  bridge. 
As  they  neared  this  point,  the  colonel  began  to  feel 
uneasy,  fearing  that  the  horse  might  not  make  the 
turn,  or,  if  he  did  do  so,  the  suddenness  of  it  would 
overturn  the  chaise.  The  people  looked  aghast  from 
the  doors  and  windows  of  the  occasional  houses  which 


38  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 

the  horse  dashed  past ;  and  the  few  pedestrians  on  the 
country  road  mostly  sought  safety  by  nearing  the  fence 
at  one  or  the  other  side  of  the  highway.  One  or  two 
men,  more  daring  than  the  rest,  made  slight  attempts 
to  stop  the  career  of  the  horse  ;  but  they  might  as  well 
have  tried  to  check  the  rushing  whirlwind. 

On  sped  the  excited  animal ;  and  now  the  turn  of 
the  road  was  nearly  reached.  But,  at  a  short  distance 
in  advance,  Colonel  "White  and  Lucy  saw,  at  the  same 
moment,  a  stout  boy,  apparently  of  about  twelve  years 
of  age,  with  a  fishing-rod  in  his  hand,  climbing  nimbly 
over  the  fence  at  the  side  of  the  road  nearest  the 
brook.  He  sprang  from  the  fence,  ran  swiftly  across 
the  road,  threw  down  his  fishing-rod,  turned,  and 
placed  himself  so  as  to  be  on  the  nigh  side  of  the 
rapidly  approaching  animal.  The  colonel  saw,  at  a 
glance,  that  the  boy  was  determined  to  make  the 
attempt  to  seize  the  horse's  head,  and  barely  had 
time  to  exclaim,  "  Heaven  protect  you,  my  noble 
boy ! "  when  he  felt,  by  the  strain  on  the  reins,  that 
the  animal's  head  had  been  drawn  nearer  the  ground, 
and  saw  that  the  lad  had  both  hands  firmly  hold  of 
the  bridle,  near  the  bit. 

The  horse  continued  his  mad  career ;  but,  after  a 
few  bounds,  there  was  a  perceptible  diminution  in  his 
speed.  The  weight  of  the  boy  —  for  the  headlong 


,j-fi°B 

DANCING    JIM    IN    CHECK.  — PAGE  38 


\ 


THE    YOUNG  INVINCIBLES.  39 

course  of  the  horse  took  him  completely  off  his  feet — 
soon  began  to  tell  upon  him.  They  were  now  at  the 
bend  in  the  road ;  but  the  old  gentleman  was  satisfied 
that  it  would  be  extremely  hazardous  to  make  the 
short  turn,  even  if  he  should  succeed  in  guiding  the 
animal  in  that  direction,  and  he  instantly  decided  to  let 
him  go  straight  ahead  upon  the  side  of  the  highway,  as 
the  gutter  was  not  deep  at  this  point ;  and  he  was  con- 
firmed in  this  decision  as  he  heard  the  manly  voice  of 
the  boy,  "  Slack  the  rein,  and  let  him  run  straight  for 
the  fence ! " 

The  speed  of  the  horse  was  so  much  slackened  that 
the  boy  had  recovered  his  feet,  and  had  now,  evidently, 
some  control  over  the  animal.  One  bound  more,  and 
Dancing  Jim  brought  up  against  the  little  embankment 
near  the  fence,  with  his  head  between  the  two  lower 
rails,  and  the  ends  of  the  chaise-shafts  imbedded  some 
inches  in  the  loose  earth. 

Colonel  White,  who  had  his  feet  well  braced  against 
the  front  part  of  the  chaise,  remained  in  his  seat ;  but 
Lucy,  who,  in  the  excitement  of  the  moment,  had 
quitted  her  hold  of  the  strap,  was  thrown  forward  out 
of  the  chaise.  The  boy,  however,  it  would  seem, 
had  anticipated  something  of  the  kind,  for  he  turned 
in  season  to  catch  the  little  girl  in  his  arms ; 
and,  although  the  great  force  with  which  she  was 


40  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 

precipitated  upon  him  was  sufficient  to  bear  them 
both  to  the  ground,  still  they  received  not  the  slight- 
est injury. 

The  old  gentleman  instantly  jumped  from  the  car- 
riage, and,  having  satisfied  himself  that  none  of  the 
party  were  injured,  grasped  the  boy  cordially  by  the 
hand,  and  warmly  thanked  him,  over  and  over  again, 
for  the  good  service  he  had  rendered  them. 

They  now  turned  their  attention  to  the  runaway. 
He  had  lain  perfectly  quiet  from  the  moment  his  career 
was  so  suddenly  cut  short.  He  could  not  well  be 
otherwise  than  quiet,  as  his  neck  was  firmly  fixed 
between  the  fails.  With  the  assistance  of  the  boy, 
who  appeared  extremely  cool  and  self-possessed,  the 
colonel  loosened  such  portions  of  the  harness  as  the 
case  required,  and  ran  the  chaise  back.  Then,  by 
standing  upon  the  lower  rail  of  the  fence,  he  sprang  it 
down  sufficiently  to  enable  Dancing  Jim  to  withdraw 
his  head  with  perfect  ease. 

The  moment  the  horse's  head  was  released,  the  lad 
seized  the  bridle,  and  gave  an  encouraging  word,  when 
the  animal  quickly  sprang  to  his  feet.  He  had  re- 
ceived no  injury,  except  a  scratch  on  the  side  of  his 
head,  where  it  had  scraped  against  the  rail.  He  had 
evidently  been  greatly  excited  and  alarmed,  for  every 
fibre  in  his  body  was  quivering  like  a  lump  of  jelly. 


THE    YOU  NO   INVINCIBLES.  41 

His  master  talked  to  him  kindly,  patted  him,  and 
gently  rubbed  him  with  his  hand,  which  had  the 
effect  of  soothing  him  greatly. 

"  "Well,  Lucy,"  said  the  old  gentleman,  after  a  few 
minutes  thus  passed,  "  shall  we  tackle  up  the  colt 
again,  and  start  once  more  for  home?  or  what  shall 
we  do  ?  " 

"  If  you  think  it  is  safe,  grandfather,  I  guess  I 
won't  be  much  afraid ;  but  — "  and  she  cast  a  fur- 
tive glance  at  the  boy  by  her  side,  as  if  she  thought 
that  Ope  so  brave  as  he  might  have  something  to 
suggest  to  help  them  out  of  their  difficulty. 

"  I've  been  trying,  ever  since  the  horse  stopped," 
said  the  boy,  without  the  least  hesitation,  "  to  think 
what's  best  to  be  done  ;  and  it  seems  to  me,  Colonel 
White,  that  it  wouldn't  be  exactly  safe  for  you  to  put 
that  skittish  colt  into  the  chaise  again  ;  but  you've  got 
another  horse  at  home,  and  if  you'll  trust  me,  I'll  ride 
this  young  one  up  to  your  house,  and  bring  the  old 
horse  back,  and  you  can  tackle  him  up,  and  get  home 
before  dark." 

"  Very  good  advice,  my  lad,  and  I  thank  you  kindly 
for  it,"  replied  the  colonel,  with  a  smile ;  "  and  I 
will  accept  your  offer  upon  two  conditions :  that  you 
will  allow  me  to  pay  you  well  for  the  trouble, 
and  that  you  will  now  inform  me  to  whom  we  are 


42  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 

indebted  for  our  present  safety.  You  know  who  I 
am,  I  see." 

"  My  name  is  George  Herrick.  My  mother  lives 
right  back  here,  in  the  last  house  you  passed.  You 
may  pay  her  what  is  right  for  my  going  after  your 
horse :  she  needs  it.  If  you'll  just  take  my  fishing- 
pole  in  your  hand,  and  walk  to  the  house  with  your 
little  girl,  I'll  soon  be  back  with  your  other  horse. 
The  chaise  will  be  safe  enough  here  at  the  side  of 
the  road,  I  guess." 

Colonel  "White  removed  the  harness  from  the  colt, 
and  put  it  into  the  chaise,  and,  taking  a  small  blanket 
from  the  box,  he  placed  it  upon  the  animal,  instead 
of  a  saddle ;  and  George  Herrick  instantly  mounted. 
The  colonel  was  pleased  to  see  that  the  boy  was  a 
good  horseman.  Tearing  a  blank  leaf  from  a  mem- 
orandum book,  the  old  gentleman  simply  wrote, 
"  Dear  wife  :  Allow  this  boy  to  '  swap  horses '  —  all 
well ;  "  and  signed  his  name.  George  took  the  note, 
and  Dancing  Jim  was  at  once  on  his  way  homeward, 
at  a  smart  trot. 


THE    YOUNG  INVINCIVLES.  43 


CHAPTER  V. 

TIIE   COLONEL   MAKES   A  PROPOSITION. 

old  gentleman  and  little  girl  soon  reached 
Mrs.  Herrick's.  They  stood  in  need  of  no 
introduction,  for  the  colonel  had  passed  to  and 
from  the  shipyard  so  frequently  during  a  period  of 
years,  that  he  was  well  known  to  all  the*  residents  of 
that  part  of  the  town ;  and  Mrs.  Herrick  had  recog- 
nized him  and  Lucy  as  they  were  whirled  past  the 
house  a  short  time  before  by  the  runaway  horse,  and 
expected  to  hear  of  some  accident  happening  to  them. 
And  now,  as  they  approached  the  door,  she  met  them, 
and  anxiously  inquired  if  they  had  received  any  injury. 

"  No,  madam,  we  have  not  —  thanks  to  your  brave 
son,  who  risked  his  life  in  our  behalf ; "  and  the  colonel 
related  the  circumstances  as  they  are  known  to  the 
reader. 

Mrs.  Herrick  listened  with  much  interest,  and  when 
Colonel  White  had  concluded,  she  exclaimed,  fer- 
vently, — 


44  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 

"  Thank  Heaven  that  none  of  you  were  hurt !  I 
know  George  is  somewhat  daring;  and  I've  often 
told  him  that  if  there's  any  danger  near,  he  is  sure  to 
be  in  it.  But  I'm  right  glad  if 'he  has  been  of  any 
assistance  to  you,  Colonel  White." 

"  Any  assistance  to  me  !  why,  he  has  probably  saved 
some  of  these  old  bones  of  mine,  and  perhaps  some  of 
these  young  ones  too,"  replied  the  old  gentleman, 
as  he  affectionately  placed  his  arm  around  his  little 
granddaughter. 

They  had  followed  Mrs.  Herrick  into  the  house,  and 
taken  seats,  to  await  the  return  of  George.  The 
room  was  small,  and  plainly  furnished,  but  everything 
was  neat  and  orderly,  which  showed  that  the  occupant 
was  a  woman  who  could  make  scanty  means  go  a 
good  way  towards  keeping  up  a  decent  exterior  ap- 
pearance in  household  arrangements.  Her  own  person 
and  dress  were  equally  unexceptionable. 

Colonel  White  knew  something  of  the  history  of  the 
family.  He  knew  that  Captain  Herrick  had  borne  the 
reputation  of  being  a  spendthrift ;  that  it  was  generally 
believed  that  he  had  squandered,  in  some  way,  a 
handsome  little  property  which  his  wife  inherited  from 
her  father,  and  then,  when  the  gold  excitement  was  at 
its  height,  suddenly  departed  for  California  with  some 
of  the  early  adventurers,  and  had  never  returned. 


THE   YOUNG   INVINCIBLES.  45 

The  colonel  now  felt  such  a  lively  interest  in  George, 
•who  had  just  rendered  him  so  good  a  service,  that  he 
thought  he  might  with  propriety  make  some  inquiries 
with  regard  to  the  circumstances  of  the  family  ;  which 
he  proceeded  to  do. 

Mrs.  Herrick  knew  the  character  of  her  visitor  well 
enough  to  feel  satisfied  that  it  was  no  id^e  curiosity 
that  prompted  the  questions,  and  she  candidly  informed 
the  old  gentleman  that  Captain  Herrick  had  done 
nothing  towards  the  support  of  her  and  her  boy 
(George  was  an  only  cliild)  since  he  went  to  Cali- 
fornia, and  that  she  had  heard  from  him  but  once,  and 
then  by  mere  chance,  as  he  had  never  written  to  her. 

She  continued  to  say  that  she  had  sometimes  found 
it  rather  diificult  to  obtain  the  necessaries  of  life,  but 
still  had  managed  to  get  along,  after  a  sort,  without 
giving  up  her  claim  to  the  little  house  and  acre  or  two 
of  land  where  she  lived.  She  seemed  to  lament,  more 
than  anything  else,  that  her  son  was  growing  up  with-  . 
out  any  permanent  employment,  and  without  education  ; 
for  since  he  had  been  old  enough  to  help  her,  she  had 
been  obliged  to  keep  him  from  school  so  much  of  the 
time,  that  he  had  fallen  far  behindhand  in  his  studies, 
and  finally  felt  so  much  ashamed  of  his  ignorance  that 
he  objected  to  go  to  school  when  he  had  the  opportu- 
nity. She  said  George  was  high-spirited,  reserved, 

' 


46  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 

and  rather  inclined  to  gloominess  at  times ;  that 
lately,  although  he  was  always  kind  and  obedient  to 
her,  this  unhappy  state  of  mind  seemed  to  be  growing 
upon  him ;  and  although  she  felt  quite  anxious  with 
regard  to  the  matter,  she  could  not  divine  the  cause. 

Colonel  White  had  listened  attentively  to  the  fore- 
going statement,  and  immediately  said,  kindly,  — 

"  Mrs.  Herrick,  I  feel  much  interest  in  your  son, 
and  think  I  can  assist  him,  and  you,  too,  in  a  manner 
that  neither  of  you  will  object  to.  I  will  make  a 
proposition,  and  leave  it  for  you  and  George  to  think 
over,  and  when  you  have  come  to  a  decision,  you  can 
let  me  hear  from  you.  It  is  this :  I  own  a  small 
house,  quite  near  the  one  I  occupy,  that  is  convenient 
for  two  small  families.  Uncle  Bill  Ballast  and  his 
wife  are  the  only  occupants  of  it  at  present,  and 
a  kinder  old  couple  are  not  anywhere  to  be  found. 
NOAV,  the  other  part  of  the  house,  I  think,  will  be  just 
the  thing  for  you  and  George.  I  propose  that  you 
remove  there  without  delay,  and  let  this  little  place, 
as  you  are  too  far  from  the  village  to  obtain  any 
remunerative  employment. 

"  The  advantages  of  such  an  arrangement,  I  think, 
you  will  at  once  see  :  you  will  be  very  near  the  village, 
and  having  the  reputation  of  being  a  good  seamstress, 
you  can  obtain  all  the  needlework  you  wish.  In  fact, 


THE    YOUNG  INVINCIBLES.  47 

my  wife  will  want  you  to  assist  her  quite  often,  for 
although  our  own  family  is  small,  she  is  always  making 
up  something  for  some  of  our  grandchildren,  or  for 
somebody's  grandchildren.  Then  George  will  be  in  a 
different  school  district,  and  will  probably  not  have  the 
same  objections  to  going  to  school  that  he  has  here.  I 
think  I  can  make  that  matter  right.  And  I  agree  to 
find  employment  for  him  all  the  time  he  is  out  of 
school,  if  he  wishes  to  work,,  and  will  pay  him  well 
for  what  he  does.  '  Uncle  Bill '  works  for  me  the 
most  of  the  time,  but  I  often  need  somebody  else. 
Now,  madam,  you  can  think  this  matter  over,  and 
decide  at  your  leisure." 

"  Colonel  "White,  I  cannot  express  to  you  my  grati- 
tude for  the  interest  you  take  in  the  welfare  of  my 
son,"  replied  the  lady,  affected  to  tears,  "  and  for  the 
generous  proposition  you  have  made  both  with  regard 
to  him  and  myself.  I  shall  talk  to  George  on  the 
subject  without  delay,  and  think  I  might  now  safely 
say  that  we  will  accept  your  kind  offer.  May  Heaven 
bless  you  for  your  goodness ! " 

"  Don't  be  hasty  in  making  up  your  minds,"  re- 
joined the  colonel;  "  weigh  the  subject  well, .so  there 
may  be  no  regrets  afterwards.  I  hold  myself  ready  on 
any  day  to  perform  my  part  of  the  agreement." 

"Are  you  certain,  sir,"  asked  Mrs.  Herrick,  with 


48  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 

some  hesitation,  "  that  Mrs.  White  will  like  such  an 
arrangement  as  you  propose  ?  " 

"  Don't  give  yourself  any  trouble  on  that  account," 
replied  the  old  gentleman,  with  a  smile.  "  Although 
wife  and  I  have  ever  made  it  a  rule  to  consult  each 
other's  wishes,  even  about  what  some  might  consider 
trifling  matters,  when  it  can  be  conveniently  done,  still 
we  have  as  uniformly  acted  upon  our  own  individ- 
ual judgments  and  inclinations  when  circumstances 
rendered  it  necessary ;  and  long  experience  has  con- 
vinced us  that  we  have  pursued  the  proper  course  in 
this  respect.  Should  we  enter  into  this  proposed 
arrangement,  I  think  you  will  discover  that  Mrs. 
White  will  strive  all  the  more  to  make  everything 
pleasant,  from  the  very  fact  of  knowing  that  it  is  a 
favorite  project  of  my  own." 

"  Ah,"  exclaimed  Mrs.  Herrick,  with  a  sigh,  "  I 
fear  all  husbands  and  wives  do  not  understand  the 
secret  of  domestic  happiness  so  well  as  you  and  your 
kind  wife  do." 

"  Having  had  an  experience  of  over  fifty  years," 
rejoined  the  colonel,  "  we  certainly  ought  to  be  able  to 
walk  in  the  paths  of  peace  and  happiness  together  by 
this  time." 

"  Here  comes  George  with  Old  Noll  tackled  up  all 
nicely  in  the  chaise,"  exclaimed  Lucy,  who  had  been 


THE    YOUNG   IlfVIXCIELES.  49 

•watching  from  the  window  for  the  last  half  hour. 
*'  What  a  smart  boy  he  is,  to  stop  and  get  the  chaise 
as  he  came  along,  instead  of  riding  home  first  on 
horseback !  You  didn't  ask  him  to  do  so,  grand- 
father." 

"  No,  my  dear,  for  I  was  well  convinced  that  he 
would  do  so  without,"  he  replied.  "  He  showed  the 
coolness  and  thoughtfulness  of  a  man  in  all  he  said 
and  did  ;  so  I  let  him  take  his  own  course.  And  now, 
Mrs.  Herrick,"  continued  the  old  gentleman,  as  he 
turned  towards  her,  "  there  is  a  little  matter  for  me  to 
arrange  before  I  leave.  I  consented  to  let  George 
go  and  exchange  horses  for  me,  on  condition  that  I 
might  be  allowed  to  pay  well  for  the  favor,  and  he  told 
me  to  pay  you  instead  of  him.  Now,  I  am  going  to 
look  at  the  whole  matter  in  a  business  light.  If  he 
had  not  so  bravely  stopped  my  runaway  colt,  undoubt- 
edly my  chaise  would  have  been  broken,  and  the  colt, 
perhaps,  badly  injured,  which  would  have  been  no 
small  loss  to  me  —  not  to  speak  of  the  risk  to  Lucy 
and  myself.  I  know  by  your  son's  manner  that  he 
would  not  accept  pay  for  saving  my  limbs  or  life  ;  but 
you  can  and  must  accept  this  on  account  of  his  saving 
my  property ; "  and  he  placed  a  ten-dollar  bill  in  the 
poor  woman's  hand. 

"  Thank^  thanks  ;  I  will  take  it,  for  I  am  in  need — 
4 


50  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OB 

and  I  know  it  is  cheerfully  given.  May  Heaven 
reward  you  as  you  deserve  !  " 

By  this  time  George  had  driven  up  to  the  door, 
where  he  was  met  by  his  mother  and  her  visitors. 

"  Well,  my  son,  did  you  get  the  young  horse  home 
without  any  trouble  ?  "  asked  Mrs.  Herrick. 

"  Yes,  mother,  he  was  gentle  as  a  lamb." 

"  Was  Mrs.  White  alarmed  when  she  saw  you  with 
the  colt?"  inquired  the  colonel. 

"  No,  sir ;  I  thought  she  might  be  frightened  if  I 
rode  right  up  to  the  house  ;  so  I  stopped  a  little  short 
of  it,  hitched  the  horse,  and  then  went  and  told  her 
that  you  were  safe,  and  gave  her  the  note  you  wrote." 

"  You  were  very  thoughtful  in  doing  so,"  replied  the 
old  gentleman,  more  and  more  pleased  with  the  intelli- 
gence of  the  boy ;  "I  did  not  think  to  caution  you 
about  it  before  you  started.  But  you  did  just  right." 

Colonel  White  and  Lucy  were  soon  seated  in  the 
chaise,  and  when  ready  to  start,  he  said,  — 

"  George,  I  shall  consider  myself  under  a  lasting 
obligation  to  you  for  what  you  have  done  this  day. 
Perhaps  my  old  bones  were  of  no  great  consequence, 
but  my  little  girl  here  was  in  danger  as  well.  I  know 
she  feels  very  thankful  to  you,  although  she  has  not 
said  so.  How  is  it,  my  darling  ?  " 

"  Why,  yes,  grandfather,  of   course  I  thank  him 


THE    TOUNG  INVINCIBLE 'S.  51 

very  much  ;  for  if  you  had  been  badly  hurt,  or  killed, 
I  should  have  cried  myself  to  death.  I  do  thank  you, 
George  Herrick,"  —  and  she  looked  him  directly  in  the 
face,  —  "  and  I  never  shall  forget  that  you  quite  likely 
saved  my  dear  grandfather's  life." 

"  I'm  glad  I  happened  to  be  there,"  replied  the  boy ; 
"but  then  anybody  ought  to  try  to  stop  a  runaway 
horse." 

"  Well,  George,  I  have  been  talking  to  your  mother 
about  making  some  sort  of  a  bargain  with  you  to  work 
for  me,"  said  the  colonel.  "  I  hope  you  will  make  up 
your  mind  about  it,  and  come  and  see  me  before  many 
days.  Till  then,  good  by.  Good  by,  Mrs.  Herrick." 

Old  Noll  now  started  off  to  fulfil  the  engagement 
that  had  been  so  recklessly  broken  by  Dancing  Jim  — 
that  of  taking  his  master  and  little  mistress  home. 
This  he  did  with  safety  in  his  own  good  time,  and  thus 
proved  the  truthfulness  of  the  adage  that  "  slow,  but 
sure,"  is  often  the  best  policy. 


52  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 


CHAPTER    VI. 

THE  COLONEL  AND  HIS  WIFE. 

S  Colonel  White  led  Old  Noll  into  the  stable, 
that  ancient  piece  of  horse-flesh  cast  a  re- 
proachful glance  towards  Dancing  Jim,  snugly 
ensconced  in  his  stall,  as  much  as  to  say,  "  See  what  a 
journey  you've  made  my  old,  rheumatic  limbs  perform 
by  your  youthful  folly.  When  will  you  learn  to 
exercise  common  horse-sense,  and  not  be  frightened 
at  every  little  clatter  that  assails  your  ears?"  But 
the  young  horse  at  the  moment  had  his  head  buried 
up  to  the  eyes  in  a  heap  of  sweet  clover  that  Uncle 
Bill  had  placed  before  him  a  short  time  before,  and 
consequently  took  not  the  slightest  notice  of  the  sug- 
gestive look  that  his  venerable  companion  had  be- 
stowed upon  him.  Had  he  been  aware  of  the  thought 
that  his  master  was  entertaining  at  the  moment,  per- 
haps he  would  have  shown  more  concern  for  his 
reprehensible  conduct  that  afternoon. 

Lucy  had  explained  to  her  grandmother,  while  her 


THE    YOUNG   IXVIXCIBLES.  53 

grandfather  was  caring  for  Old  Noll,  all  that  George 
Herrick  had  omitted  to  do,  so  that  when  the  old  gen- 
tleman entered  the  house,  no  allusion  was  made  to  the 
ride ;  but  a  pleasant  greeting  of  words,  a  cheerful 
smile,  and  a  warm  pressure  of  hands  showed  that 
the  affectionate  old  couple  were  both  happy  and 
thankful  that  the  affair  had  terminated  without  serious 
accident. 

After  tea  the  colonel  said  to  his  wife,  somewhat 
abruptly,  — 

"  My  dear,  I've  made  up  my  mind  to  dispose  of 
that  colt.  He'll  break  somebody's  neck  yet." 

"  I've  always  considered  him  dangerous,  you  know," 
replied  Mrs.  White.  "  But  what  do  you  intend  to  do 
with  him?" 

"  I  scarcely  know.  If  I  offer  him  for  sale,  of 
course  I  shall  have  to  say  that  I  sell  him  because  I 
consider  him  a  dangerous  animal,  and  that  would 
be  such  a  poor  recommendation  that  he  would  not 
bring  half  his  value ;  besides,  it  would  not  be  right 
to  sell  to  another  a  horse  that  I  was  afraid  to  drive 
myself." 

"I  see,  my  dear,  that  would  not  be  up  to  your 
standard  of  just  dealing.  But  is  it  not  wholly  on  my 
account  that  you  propose  to  dispose  of  him  at  all  ? " 


54  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 

and  the  old  lady  looked  earnestly  into  the  face  of  her 
husband. 

"  That  is  the  main  reason,  I  candidly  admit,"  he 
replied.  "As  for  myself,  I  should  not  be  afraid  to 
drive  him  again  to-morrow ;  but  I  know  you  have 
always  been  somewhat  uneasy  about  me  when  I  am 
away  with  him,  and  you  will  be  more  so  now  than 
ever  before.  So  I've  made  up  my  mind  to  dispose  of 
him  in  some  way." 

"  He  is  truly  a  handsome  creature,  and  I  dare  say 
he  will  make  an  excellent  horse,"  returned  Mrs. 
White.  "I  know,  further,  that  you  think  a  great 
deal  of  him,  and  would  like  to  keep  him,  if  you  could 
do  so  and  feel  that  you  were  doing  right.  So  don't 
think  anything  more  about  selling  him  at  present,  and 
perhaps  he  will  become  steadier  of  his  own  accord 
when  he  is  a  little  older.  Only  promise  me  you  will 
not  drive  him  again  till  we  all  think  it  is  safe  for  you 
to  do  so." 

"  I  cheerfully  promise  that  I  won't  drive  him  again 
till  you,  my  dear,  are  perfectly  willing  to  accompany 
me.  In  fact,  I  have  been  cruel  to  do  so  ever ;  but  I 
thought  you  were  a  little  too  careful." 

"  You  cruel !  "  responded  his  old  companion,  as  she 
affectionately  placed  her  hand  upon  his  arm.  "  When 


THE    YOUNG   INVINCIBLES.  55 

you  are  cruel  there  will  be  no  such  thing  as  kindness 
this  side  of  heaven." 

"  And  the  man  that  would,  intentionally,  be  cruel  to 
you,  my  dear  wife,  could  not  appreciate  even  the  kind- 
ness of  heaven." 

"You  wouldn't  know  how  to  'begin  to  be  cruel,  my 
husband,"  said  she  ;  "  so  don't  name  the  word  again,  I 
entreat  you." 

"And  what  thinks  our  little  Lucy  about  selling 
the  colt  ?  "  asked  Colonel  White,  addressing  himself  to 
the  child,  who  was  busily  engaged  with  a  book  at  the 
otjier  side  of  the  table. 

"Sell  the  colt !  "  exclaimed  Lucy,  quickly  looking 
up.  "  O,  I  don't  want  him  sold ;  but  I  hope  you 
won't  drive  him  any  more  till  he  knows  how  to 
behave  himself.  He  was  very  naughty  this  after- 
noon." 

"Yes,  he  was  indeed,"  replied  her  grandfather, 
"and  I  don't  believe  we  can  trust  him  again.  I 
guess  we  shall  have  to  sell  him." 

Lucy  left  her  seat,  and  went  round  the  table  to  her 
grandfather.  Placing  one  arm  about  his  neck,  she 
smoothed  back  his  long,  white  locks  with  the  other 
hand,  and  imprinted  a  loving  kiss  upon  his  broad, 
white  forehead,  saying,  — 

'"  Please  don't'sell  Dancing  Jim ! " 


56  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OB 

"Why  not,  darling?" 

"  0,  I'm  afraid  if  you  sell  him  because  he  is 
naughty,  that  you  will  sell  me  some  time  ; "  aud  she 
looked  archly  into  her  grandfather's  face. 

"Sell  you?  I  don't  believe  we  could  find  anybody 
that  would  buy  you ; "  but  the  manner  in  which  she 
was  pressed  to  the  old  gentleman's  bosom  plainly  told 
the  little  girl  that  there  was  no  danger  of  her  changing 
hands  at  present. 

"I  don't  suppose  any  one  would  want  to  buy  me, 
grandfather;  but  then  I  never  ran  away  with  any- 
body, and  almost  broke  their  necks,  as  the  colt  did." 

"  No,  you  never  did,  deary  ;  but  then  I  suppose  you 
will  be  likely  to  break  somebody's  heart  one  of  these 
days."  The  old  gentleman  exchanged  smiles  with  his 
wife. 

"  O,  I'll  never  break  anybody's  heart,"  said  the 
child,  understanding  the  observation  literally,  "  for 
that  would  be  just  as  bad  as  to  break  a  neck." 

"  Well,  dearest  one,  I  guess  we  shall  not  sell  either 
you  or  the  colt  at  present ;  so  you  need  not  be  troubled 
about  the  matter."  Her  grandfather  tenderly  kissed 
her,  and  she  went  back  to  her  book. 

"  What  did  you  think  of  the  lad  who  rode  the  colt 
home  and  took  the  old  horse  away  this  afternoon?" 
asked  the  colonel  of  his  wife. 


THE    TOUXG   I3VINCIBLES.  ^     57 

"  I  thought  he  appeared  like  a  smart  boy,"  she 
replied ;  "  but  he  did  not  tell  me  that  lie  stopped 
Dancing  Jim  —  that  I  learned  from  Lucy  before 
you  came  in.  So  the  boy  is  modest  as  well  as 
brave." 

"  I  think  he  possesses  many  good  qualities,  and  that 
he  only  needs  proper  training  and  education  to  make 
him,  when  he  arrives  at  manhood,  respected  and 
honored." 

"And  what  do  you  propose  to  do  for  him?"  in- 
quired Mrs.  "White,  as  if  it  was  a  matter  of  course 
that  something  was  to  be  done. 

"How  do  you  know  I  purpose  to  do  anything?" 
returned  her  husband,  with  a  smile  ;  "  has  Lucy  said 
that  I  do?" 

"  No ;  she  merely  said  that  you  had  a  long  talk 
with  the  boy's  mother  while  you  were  waiting  for  the 
horse,  but  she  did  not  know  what  it  was  about.  / 
know,  however,  that  a  person  who  does  Oliver  White 
a  favor  never  goes  unrequited  —  especially  if  that  per- 
son be  a  boy  who  risks  his  life  in  performing  such  a 
service." 

"  And  what  would  my  wife  say  if  I  should  tell  her 
that  I  had  alrond  v  made  such  arrangements  with 
regard  to  the  luture  of  that  boy  as  would  involve 
her  cooperation  in  a  guardianship  over  him  until 


58  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 

such  time  as  he  should  arrive  at  years  of  discre- 
tion ?  " 

"  I  would  say  I  was  certain  that  my  husband  could 
never  make  any  arrangement,  especially  in  a  matter  of 
this  kind,  in  which  I  would  not  only  cheerfully  ac- 
quiesce, but  earnestly  assist  in  doing  all  that  I  could 
for  the  gratification  of  the  one  and  the  welfare  of  the 
other." 

"  Spoken  like  my  own  dear  wife,  as  you  are,"  said 
the  old  gentleman,  affectionately. 

The  colonel  now  proceeded  to  inform  his  wife  as  to 
the  exact  proposition  which  he  had  made  to  Mrs. 
Herrick,  with  regard  both  to  her  and  her  son  —  all 
of  which  arrangements  Mrs.  White  cheerfully  assented 
to.  She  was  very  much  pleased  with  the  idea  of 
having  Mrs.  Herrick  for  a  next-door  neighbor,  with 
the  privilege  of  calling  upon  her  for  assistance  as 
often  as  needful.  Although  not  very  well  acquainted 
with  her,  yet  she  had  always  heard  her  well  spoken 
of  by  those  who  knew  her  best.  Her  reputation  was 
that  of  a  smart  woman,  who  could  turn  her  hand  to 
almost  anything  in  the  way  of  household  matters, 
and  one  who  possessed  good  sense  enough  not  to 
pry  into  other  people's  affairs ;  and  Mrs.  White  said 
to  herself,  "  How  nice  it  will  be  to  have  her  so 
near ! " 


THE    TOUNG   INVINCIBLES.  59 

"When  Colonel  White  and  his  good  lady  retired  that 
night,  having  completed  their  little  plan  for  the  assist- 
ance of  the  poor  woman  and  the  welfare  of  her  boy, 
it  was  with  far  deeper  satisfaction,  and  happiness, 
we  venture  to  say,  than  many  a  man  experiences 
who  has  made  his  thousands  in  a  single  day  by 
speculating  in  "  petroleum,"  or  by  clothing  our  noble 
soldiers  in  miserable  "  shoddy." 


60  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 


CHAPTER    VII. 

MOTHER  AND  SON. 

T  the  same  time  that  the  discussion  related  in 
the  preceding  chapter  was  going  on  at  Colonel 
White's,  Mrs.  Herrick  and  George  were  ear- 
nestly engaged  in  a  conversation  growing  out  of  the 
same  afternoon's  events,  and  having  a  bearing  upon 
the  same  looked-for  results.  The  latter  had  seemed  to 
be  in  deeper  thought  even  than  usual  for  some  time 
after  Colonel  White  and  Lucy  left,  and  maintained  a 
perfect  silence  except  when  spoken  to  by  his  mother. 
But  after  their  frugal  supper  was  over,  he  said,  — 

"  Mother,  did  Colonel  White  give  you  anything  for 
what  I  did  for  him  this  afternoon  ?  " 

"  Yes,  he  did.  He  said  you  told  him  he  might  pay 
me." 

"  How  much  did  he  give  you,  mother?" 

"  A  ten-dollar  bill." 

"What!  ten  dollars?" 

"  Yes,  my  son." 


THE   YOUNG  INVINCIBLES.  61 

"  Mother,  I  only  meant  for  you  to  take  pay  for  my 
riding  his  young  horse  home,  and  bringing  back  the 
other  ;  but  he  has  paid  you  that  large  amount  because 
he  thinks  I  saved  him  and  his  little  girl  from  being 
hurt  —  perhaps  from  being  killed.  I  wish  you  hadn't 
taken  it ;  I  don't  feel  right  about  it." 

Mrs.  Herrick,  however,  placed  the  matter  before 
her  son  in  the  same  light  that  the  colonel  had  pre- 
sented it  to  her,  which  had  the  effect  to  do  away  with 
his  objections  in  a  great  measure. 

"  Colonel  White  seemed  to  think  that  you  might  feel 
somewhat  as  you  do  about  the  money,  and  so  he  took 
pains  to  give  his  views  on  the  subject." 

"  The  colonel  is  a  first-rate  man,"  said  the  boy,  with 
emphasis.  "  I'm  glad  he  explained  the  thing  as  he 
did,  for  I  could  never  think  of  taking  money  for 
saving  anybody's  life." 

"  Yes,  Colonel  White  is  a  most  excellent  man," 
replied  Mrs.  Herrick,  with  a  grateful  tone.  "You 
don't  know  what  he  offers  to  do  for  us." 

"What  is  it,  mother?" 

She  now  proceeded  to  lay  the  whole  matter  before 
George,  arguing  strongly  in  favor  of  the  colonel's 
proposition  as  she  went  along.  When  she  had  finished, 
she  was  surprised,  and  sadly  disappointed,  at  the 


62  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 

reception  the  kind  gentleman's  offer  met  with,  as  her 
son  merely  said,  — 

"  Colonel  White  is  very  good." 

The  poor  woman  looked  in  mute  astonishment,  as 
the  boy  leaned  his  head  in  silence  upon  the  table. 
Neither  of  them  spoke  for  some  minutes.  George 
finally  broke  the  spell  by  a  change  of  subject. 

"  When  did  you  hear  anything  from  California, 
mother?"  The  peculiar  tone  of  voice,  and  the  em- 
phasis, plainly  indicated  that  he  had  purposely  substi- 
tuted a  geographical  name  for  that  of  an  individual. 

"  Not  for  a  long,  long  time,  my  son." 

"  Do  you  ever  expect  to  hear  anything?  " 

"  I  cannot  say  that  I  do." 

George  sprang  suddenly  to  his  feet  and  walked  to 
the  window,  keeping  his  back  towards  his  mother,  who 
looked  anxiously  after  him  during  another  painful 
silence.  At  length  she  crossed  the  room  to  where  he 
stood,  and,  kissing  his  forehead,  said,  tremblingly,  — 

"  My  dear  boy,  what  is  the  matter?" 

He  put  his  arm  lovingly  around  his  mother's  waist, 
walked  back  with  her  to  the  table,  gently  pushed  her 
into  a  chair,  and  seated  himself  before  her.  He  then 
said,  very  deliberately,  — 

"  Mother,  I  must  talk  to  you  about  Aim,  or  I  shall 
die." 


THE    YOUNG   INVINCIBLES.  63 

"  Well,  my  dear  child,  talk." 

"  Mother,  I  have  suffered  more  in  my  mind  for  the 
last  year  than  I  can  tell.  I  have  had  all  sorts  of 
thoughts  —  some  very  wicked  ones,  I  know.  Some- 
times I  have  felt  as  if  I  could  kill  him,  almost.  Then 
again,  once,  when  I  was  up  to  the  trout-crook  alone, 
fishing,  I  thought  about  drowning  myself;  but  I  knew 
that  was  cowardly,  as  well  as  wicked,  and  so  I  thought  no 
more  about  it.  But  still,  I  have  been  feeling  worse  and 
worse  about  him.  I  know  Tie  left  you,  my  dear  mother, 
to  take  care  of  yourself  and  me,  year  after  year,  without 
coming  or  sending  to  see  how  you  got  along,  and  the 
thought  -has  been  more  than  I  could  bear.  And  then 
to  think  that  you  must  love  such  a  man,  and  that  / 
must  try  to  respect  him  !  Mother,  I  can't  —  I  can't ! 
O,  I  wish  he  was  not  my  father ! "  and  the  poor 
excited  boy  buried  his  face  in  his  mother's  lap. 

"  And  so,  my  dear,  dear  son,  you  have  been  suffering 
all  this  for  a  long  time,  and  yet  kept  it  to  yourself  ?  " 
said  Mrs.  Herrick,  as  the  tears  flowed  down  her 
cheeks. 

"Yes,  mother;  I  thought  that  if-  you  loved  and 
respected  him,  I  should  only  make  you  unhappier  by 
saying  anything.  And  I  have  hoped  that  you  would 
say  something  to  me  about  it." 

"  My    dear,   kind    boy !      I   ought    to    have    said 


64  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,   OR 

something  to  you  about  it,  and  certainly  should  have 
done  so  if  I  had  mistrusted  for  a  moment  that  you 
were  thinking  of  it.  I  have  always  intended  to  inform 
you  of  certain  events  that  transpired  before  your  recol- 
lection, but  thought  I  would  wait  till  I  was  sure  you 
could  understand  the  matter  fully.  I  am  convinced 
now,  however,  that  I  should  have  confided  all  to  you 
long  since." 

"  Let  me  know  everything  now,  my  dear  mother." 

"  I  will.  It  is  a  long  story,  and  a  portion  of  it 
humiliating,  perhaps ;  but  now  is  the  time  for  you  to 
hear  it." 

"  You  can  trust  me,  mother." 

.«  You  already  know,"  began  Mrs.  Herrick,  "  that, 
although  this  town  is  my  native  place,  I  have  not 
always  lived  here.  When  I  was  fourteen  years  of  age 
I  went  to  live  with  my  only  sister,  who  was  married, 
and  resided  in  New  York  city.  When  I  was  about 
sixteen,  I  became  acquainted  with  two  young  men, 
cousins,  George  and  James  Herrick.  One  of  them 
was  master  of  a  fine  packet  ship  running  between 
New  York  and  New  Orleans,  and  the  other  was  first 
mate  of  the  same  vessel.  They  were  intimate  friends 
of  Mr.  Gregory,  my  sister's  husband,  and  were  at  the 
house  nearly  every  evening  when  in  port.  They 
were  very  gentlemanly,  and  both  showed  me  a  good 


THE    YOUNG  INVINCIBLES.  65 

deal  of  attention.  My  preference,  however,  was  for 
the  captain,  who  soon  offered  himself  to  me,  was 
accepted,  and  before  I  was  seventeen  we  were  married. 

"  My  husband  hired  and  furnished  a  small,  genteel 
house  near  my  sister's,  and  we  commenced  house- 
keeping. He  was  all  kindness  to  me,  and  there  was 
no  drawback  to  our  happiness  except  on  account  of 
his  absence  a  great  part  of  the  time,  occasioned  by  his 
business.  When  I  had  been  married  short  of  a  year, 
and  during  the  absence  of  my  husband,  my  sister  sud- 
denly died  of  heart  disease.  This  was  a  severe  blow 
to  me,  and  I  now  felt  very  lonely.  "When  Captain 
Herrick  arrived,  he  was  easily  persuaded  by  me  to 
give  up  his  ship  to  his  cousin  James,  for  the  present 
at  least,  and  remain  at  home.  He  soon  engaged  in 
business  to  his  mind,  and  we  were  very  happy.  His 
business  was  profitable,  he  appeared  satisfied  with  it, 
and  I  hoped  he  would  conclude  to  give  up  altogether 
going  to  sea.  And  when  you  were  born,  my  son,  it 
seemed  as  if  my  cup  of  happiness  was  full. 

"  Soon,  however,  I  was  brought  to  grief.  Your 
father's  health  began  rapidly  to  fail,  and  his  physician 
pronounced  him  to  be  in  a  quick  consumption.  Alas  ! 
it  was  too  true ;  before  you  were  a  year  old,  your 
father  was  no  more." 

George  Herrick  again  sprang  to  his  feet  with  a 
5 


66  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 

suddenness  that  came  near  overturning  the  table  at  his 
side,  and  exclaimed,  almost  wildly,  — 

"Mother,  what  is  this  you  say?  —  what  do  I 
hear?  —  am  /  crazy?  or  are  you  ?  My  father  died 
when  I  was  a  year  old !  What  do  you  mean  ? 
Mother,  mother  !  won't  you  explain  ?  "  and  the  boy, 
in  his  bewilderment,  walked  rapidly  up  and  down  the 
little  room. 

"  Yes,  yes,  my  son,  I  will  explain  all ;  only  be 
calm." 

George  took  his  seat  again. 

"  I  will  try  to  be  calm,  mother.  But  you  say  such 
strange  things !  " 

Mrs.  Herrick  continued :  — 

"  Captain  George  Herrick  was  your  father,  my  dear 
boy  —  Captain  James  Herrick  is  my  second  hus- 
band —  " 

"I  see  —  I  see  —  I  understand.  Then  that  man 
who  deserted  you  and  went  to  California  is  not  my 
father?  But  say  it  again,  mother!  Speak  it  once 
more  —  do  !  " 

"  No,  my  son,  he  is  not  your  father." 

"  Thank  Heaven  !  Thank  Heaven  for  that ! "  fer- 
vently exclaimed  the  excited  boy.  "  Bless  you, 
mother,  for  those  words !  I  feel  as  if  I  could  look 
anybody  in  the  face  now.  I  have  felt  so  bitter,  so  very 


THE    YOUNG   INVINCIBLES.  67 

bitter  against  that  man !  And  it  is  such  a  happiness 
to  know  that  I  have  not  felt  so  towards  my  father  ! 
But  I  don't  understand  it  all  yet,  mother." 

"  I  suppose  not ;  but  you  will  when  you  have  heard 
all.  I  cannot  finish  the  painful  story  to-night,  how- 
ever. We  are  both  too  much  excited ;  we  will  be 
calmer  in  the  morning,  and  then  you  shall  hear  the 
rest." 


68  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 


CHAPTER    VIH. 

GEORGE   MAKES   A  PROMISE. 

O  or  three  weeks  before  your  father's  death," 
continued  Mrs.  Herrick,  "his  cousin  James 
arrived  at  New  York,  and,  on  learning  how 
sick  he  was,  at  once  requested  the  owners  of  the  ship 
to  put  some  one  else  in  command  for  that  voyage,  as 
he  wished  to  devote  his  time  to  his  sick  friend.  He 
was  at  our  house  every  day,  frequently  remained  all 
night,  taking  full  charge  of  your  father,  so  as  to 
relieve  me  of  the  fatigue  as  much  as  possible ;  and  in 
every  way  seemed  to  be  a  true  friend  to  me  in  my 
trouble. 

"  After  yo,ur  father's  death,  Captain  Herrick  advised 
me  as  to  the  best  method  of  proceeding  to  secure  the 
property  which  had  been  left  me  (something  like 
fifteen  thousand  dollars) ,  so  that  it  would  be  as  little 
trouble  to  me  as  possible.  In  fact,  he  took  full  charge 
of  the  whole  matter,  and  thus  relieved  me  of  all  the 
care.  I  thought  it  would  be  best  for  me  to  sell  off  my 


THE    YOUNG   INVINCIBLES.  69 

furniture,  and  return  home  here  to  Harryseekit,  and 
live  with  father  and  mother  at  the  old  homestead.  He 
informed  me,  however,  that  some  of  your  father's 
business  could  not  be  settled  up  advantageously  short, 
of  a  year,  and  that  I  had  better  remain  in  New  York 
till  that  was  done.  So  I  sold  my  furniture,  and  went 
to  board  in  a  nice  family  where  I  was  acquainted. 
Mr.  Gregory  seemed  to  forget  all  about  me  after  my 
sister's  death,  and  took  no  interest  in  my  affairs. 

"  Captain  Herrick  resumed  command  of  his  vessel 
when  she  returned  to  New  York,  but  always  called 
upon  me  when  in  the  city,  was  very  kind  and  thought- 
ful, and  brought  you  many  little  presents. 

"  I  mourned  your  father's  death  deeply  and  sin- 
cerely. But  more  affliction  was  in  store  for  me. 
"When  I  had  been  a  widow  a  little  less  than  a  year,  I 
received  the  painful  intelligence  that  my  father  and 
mother  had  both  been  drowned  by  the  upsetting  of  a 
sail-boat,  during  a  squall  in  the  bay,  being  on  their  way 
home  from  one  of  the  islands,  where  they  had  been 
visiting  a  friend.  I  was  now  truly  alone  in  the  world, 
with  the  exception  of  you,  my  darling  babe. 

"  I  was  the  only  heir  to  my  father's  property  here, 
and  of  course  it  was  necessary  for  me  to  do  something 
about  it.  Captain  Herrick  was  absent  when  I  received 
the  news ;  but  as  soon  as  he  arrived,  and  called  to  see 


70  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 

me,  I  made  known  to  him  the  circumstances,  and 
asked  his  advice.  He  at  once  said  that  he  had  come 
to  see  me  for  the  express  purpose  of  begging  me  to 
confer  upon  hiin  the  right  of  being  my  adviser,  not 
only  at  that  time,  but  through  life,  by  becoming  his 
wife. 

"  I  was  very  much  surprised,  and  at  first  uttered  a 
refusal.  He  warmly  avowed,  however,  that  he  had 
always  loved  me ;  but  as  his  cousin  had  declared  his 
love  first,  and  was  accepted,  he  had  buried  his  great 
disappointment  in  his  own  bosom.  But  now,  as  he 
had  allowed  me  to  mourn  my  loss  a  year,  as  I  was 
young,  with  a  young  child,  and  no  relative  to  advise  or 
protect  me,  he  had  come,  he  said,  in  all  truth  and 
honor,  to  offer  me  his  heart  and  hand. 

"  My  son,  I  did  wrong,  for  my  heart  still  clung  to 
the  memory  of  your  dead  father ;  but  still,  under  the 
circumstances,  perhaps  it  is  not  surprising  that  I  ac- 
cepted his  proposal,  for  I  considered  him  an  honorable 
gentleman,  and  my  devoted  friend.  We  were  married 
at  once.  I  placed  the  fullest  confidence  in  him,  of 
course,  or  I  should  not  have  married  him.  He  re- 
signed the  command  of  his  ship,  and  set  to  work 
immediately  to  arrange  our  affairs  so  that  we  could 
come  to  Harryseekit  and  look  after  the  property  left 
by  my  father.  He  informed  me  that  his  own  funds 


THE    YOUNG   INVINCIBLES.  71 

(ten  thousand  dollars)  were  invested  in  New  York 
bank  stock,  which  he  considered  the  safest  and  best 
investment,  and  advised  me  to  let  him  make  the  same 
disposition  of  mine.  I  consented  to  the  arrangement, 
feeling  that  he  knew  all  about  such  matters,  and 
believing  that  he  would  do  whatever  was  best  for 
us  all. 

"  As  soon  as  this  arrangement  was  made,  we  came 
to  Harryseekit,  and  took  possession  of  the  old  home- 
stead—  the  place  where  Mr.  Sinclair  now  lives.  So 
far  I  had  received  nothing  but  the  tenderest  care  from 
him,  and  he  was  very  kind  to  you.  We  had  been 
here  only  a  few  weeks,  when  he  said  to  me  that  Mr. 
Sinclair  wanted  to  buy  the  place,  and  had  offered  sev- 
eral hundred  dollars  more  than  it  was  really  worth, 
and  he  thought  we  had  better  sell,  and  go  back  to  New 
York,  as  he  did  not  feel  very  well  contented  here.  I 
agreed  to  it,  thinking  it  my  duty. 

"  The  bargain  was  closed  at  once,  and  the  money  all 
paid  down,  amounting  to  two  thousand  three  hundred 
dollars,  with  the  stipulation  that  we  could,  if  we  chose, 
remain  in  the  house  three  months,  thus  giving  us 
ample  time  to  make  arrangements  for  removing  to 
New  York.  Captain  Herrick  passed  the  three  hun- 
dred dollars  over  to  me,  to  meet  incidental  expenses, 
he  said,  and  in  a  day  or  two  left  for  New  York  to 


72  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 

invest  the  two  thousand,  and  to  make  arrangements 
for  our  change  of  residence. 

"  He  was  absent  four  weeks,  and  wrote  to  me  but 
once.  My  heart  began  to  fail  me.  I  feared  that  all 
was  not  right.  On  the  very  day  that  he  returned  I 
noticed  a  marked  change  in  his  behavior.  He  found 
fault  with  me,  about  various  little  matters,  for  the 
first  time,  and  was  extremely  cross  to  you.  I  was 
wretched.  The  next  day  he  informed  me  that  he 
had  changed  his  mind  about  going  to  New  York.  I 
asked  him  why,  and  he  said,  because  lie  had.  I  began 
to  fear  that  he  had  married  me  for  the  property  I  pos- 
sessed ;  but  still  I  could  not  believe  it.  A  day  or  two 
after  this,  while  he  was  at  the  Corner,  I  entered  his 
room  for  something,  and  saw  a  letter  lying  on  the  floor. 
I  picked  it  up.  It  was  a  letter  he  had  received  when 
last  in  New  York  from  a  man  in  Boston.  I  cast  my 
eye  over  it,  and  these  words  struck  my  notice  :  *  I  was 
greatly  surprised,  as  you  thought  I  might  be,  on  hear- 
ing that  you  had  married  a  widow  with  a  little  encum- 
brance ;  but,  of  course,  the  fifteen  thousand  makes  all 
the  difference  imaginable ;  and,  as  you  say,  California 
is  a  convenient  place  for  settling  family  difficulties'  I 
remained  stupefied  for  an  hour. 

"But  why  continue  this  sad  tale?  In  a  day  or  two 
he  left  for  California,  saying  he  would  remit  me 


THE    YOUNG   INVINCIBLES.  73 

money  ;  but  of  course  I  placed  no  confidence  in  what 
he  said.  I  wrote  to  a  friend  in  New  York  to  inquire 
about  the  bank  stock ;  and,  as  I  expected,  found  that 
he  had  sold  all,  and  pocketed  the  funds. 

"  I  found  a  purse  in  my  bureau  drawer,  after  he 
left,  containing  a  hundred  dollars.  With  that  and 
what  I  had  left  of  the  three  hundred  I  purchased  this 
little  place  to  shelter  you  and  me,  my  son,  and  had 
about  fifty  dollars  remaining.  My  long,  sad  story  is 
finished." 

"My  dear  mother,"  exclaimed  George,  as  he  threw 
both  arms  around  her  neck,  "  I  wonder  how  you  have 
lived  through  all  this  !  But  now  tell  me,  O,  tell  me, 
do  you  still  love  that  cruel  man  who  deceived  and 
robbed  you?" 

"  I  cannot  say  that  I  do." 

"  Then  promise  me,  if  he  ever  comes  back,  that 
you  will  not  live  with  him." 

"  I  promise." 

"  Now,  dear  mother,  I  will  make  my  promise,  for  I 
have  work  to  do,  and  I  mean  to  do  it.  I  accept 
Colonel  White's  kind  offer,  and  I  will  profit  by  it  too. 
I  will  waste  no  more  time.  And,  if  I  live,  you  shall 
never  need  any  one  to  provide  for  you  or  protect  you" 

"  I  do  not  doubt  it,  my  son.  I  have  all  confidence 
in  you.  But  wait  a  moment." 


74  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 

Mrs.  Herrick  stepped  into  her  little  bedroom,  and 
returned  in  a  moment  or  two  with  a  daguerrotype, 
which  she  placed  in  George's  hand,  saying,  — 

"  That,  my  son,  is  the  picture  of  your  father.  I 
have  kept  it  for  you  ;  /  have  forfeited  my  right  to  it. 
I  can  only  say  to  you,  respect  his  memory  through 
life,  and  profit  by  his  example,  for  he  was  a  man  of 
uniform  kindness,  and  unwavering  truth  and  honor  — 
in  a  word,  he  was  a  sincere  and  consistent  Christian." 

"  Mother,  I  think  I  can  promise  that  I  will.  And 
although  I  know  that  what  you  have  told  me  about 
yourself  has  made  you  feel  very  unhappy,  and  some 
parts  of  it  have  made  me  feel  so  too,  yet  now  that  I 
know  that  that  wicked  man  who  has  deceived  and 
robbed  you  is  not  my  father,  and  that  I  shall  not  have 
to  try  any  longer  to  respect  him,  I  feel  as  if  I  could 
hold  up  my  head  among  folks.  Mother,  you  needn't 
be  ashamed  of  me  any  more." 

"  I  have  never  been  ashamed  of  you,  my  son  ;  but  I 
have  been  worried  about  you  because  you  have  seemed 
to  be  unhappy." 

"  Well,  all  shall  be  right  now.  I'll  go  and  see  our 
friend,  Colonel  White,  right  off,  and  tell  him  we  accept 
his  offer." 

"  The  sooner  the  better,  my  boy." 

And  he  did  go,  and  was  received  with  a  hearty  wel- 


THE    YOUNG    INVISIBLES.  75 

come  by  the  colonel  and  his  wife  ;  and  the  result  was, 
that  within  a  fortnight,  Mrs.  Herrick  and  George  were 
snugly  domiciled  with  Uncle  Bill  and  his  wife,  Aunt 
Betsey,  and  were  fully  under  the  fatherly  care  of 
Colonel  White.  In  this  comfortable  situation  they  are 
found  by  the  reader  three  years  later,  —  the  period  at 
which  our  story  commences,  —  the  intervening  time 
having  been  marked  by  great  advantage  to  George 
Herrick,  and  perfect  satisfaction  resting  with  all  the 
parties  concerned. 


76  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 


CHAPTER    IX. 

WAK   MEETING. 

Monday  after  the  reception  of  the  news  of 
the  surrender  of  Fort  Sumter  on  Saturday, 
was  a  stirring  time  in  Harryseekit,  as  it  was, 
indeed,  throughout  the  length  and  breadth  of  all  the 
free  states.  It  seemed  as  if  one  grand  pulsation  moved 
every  loyal  heart,  and  sent  thrills  of  patriotic  fire 
through  the  swelling  arteries  of  a  nation  of  freemen. 

Men  and  boys  were  fast  assembling  at  the  Corner, 
at  an  early  hour  in  the  morning,  and  many  were  ready 
to  enlist  on  the  moment ;  but  as  yet  there  seemed  to  be 
no  order  or  system  adopted.  Several  recommenda- 
tions had  been  made,  but  nothing  was  done.  Directly 
Colonel  "White  made  his  appearance  among  them,  when 
all  turned  to  him  for  some  suggestion. 

"  The  first  thing  to  be  done,  in  my  opinion,"  said 
that  gentleman,  "  is  to  call  a  meeting  in  the  Town 
Hall  at  the  earliest  possible  hour,  and  decide  upon 
some  plan  of  action.  We  shall,  without  doubt,  hear 


THE    YOUNG  INVINCIRLES.  77 

from  the  governor  and  adjutant-general  by  one  or  two 
o'clock  to-day ;  but  there  is  not  a  moment  to  lose,  and 
we  can  do  much  in  the  mean  time.  All  that  is  wanted 
is  concert  of  action." 

This  suggestion  met  the  approval  of  all ;  and  the 
colonel  and  one  or  two  others  immediately  called  on 
Mr.  Clark,  chairman  of  the  selectmen  of  the  town, 
who  lived  near  by,  and  pressed  the  matter  upon  him. 
He  at  once  instructed  the  clerk  to  notify  the  citizens 
that  there  would  be  a  war  meeting  in  the  Town  Hull 
at  twelve  o'clock  that  day.  Colonel  White  urged  the 
propriety  of  giving  thorough  notice  throughout  the 
town,  so  that  all  sections  might  be  represented,  and 
all  have  an  equal  opportunity  to  respond  to  this  first 
call  for  volunteers.  He  said  he  would  furnish  his 
horse  and  buggy,  with  a  driver,  to  take  the  notices  to 
a  remote  part  of  the  town  in  one  direction,  and  by 
starting  off  messengers  in  other  directions  in  a  similar 
manner,  they  could  notify  in  season  nearly  every  man 
in  the  place.  The  plan  was  adopted.  And  George 
Herrick  and  Tom  Sprightly,  seated  behind  Dancing 
Jim  in  Colonel  White's  buggy,  had  the  honor  and  the 
satisfaction  of  notifying  the  inhabitants  of  one  portion 
of  the  town  to  the  first  war  meeting  in  Harryseekit. 

Our  two  young  friends  were  in  high  spirits.  This 
early  opportunity  that  the  colonel  had  given  them  to 


78  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 

work  in  their  country's  cause  seemed  an  earnest  to 
them  that  their  old  friend  would  fulfil  his  promise  of 
the  previous  Saturday  evening,  and  continue  to  point 
out  their  duties  in  the  same  line.  Although  they 
thought  their  present  occupation  rather  tame,  to  what 
it  would  be  to  march  boldly  forth  to  meet  the  rebels  on 
the  battle-field,  still  they  were  determined  to  perform 
their  home  duties  well.  George  Herrick  was  far  too 
thoughtful  a  boy,  and  placed  too  much  confidence  in 
his  patron's  good  judgment  and  friendship,  to  brood 
long  over  any  disappointment ;  and  Tom  Sprightly's 
spirits,  being  as  elastic  as  his  limbs,  if  they  did  not 
perform  as  many  somersets,  were  never  depressed  for 
any  great  length  of  time.  Consequently  both  boys 
were  quite  well  satisfied  with  their  present  employ- 
ment, and  with  their  expectations  for  the  future. 

Tom's  legs,  whose  running  qualities  have  been 
hinted  at  before,  did  excellent  service,  in  the  present 
instance,  by  carrying  notices  of  the  meeting  to  several 
houses  situated  at  considerable  distances  from  the  main 
road,  and  then  he  would  run  across  fields  and  pastures 
to  intercept  George  and  the  buggy  at  some  point 
farther  on  —  thus  saving  much  time.  They  left  a 
message  at  every  house  on  their  route,  and  were  the 
first  to  report  progress  at  the  Corne^  where  they  were 
complimented  for  their  despatch. 


THE   TO  UNO  INVINCIBLE S.  79 

As  we  gave  Dancing  Jim  a  bad  name  on  a  former 
occasion,  it  will  be  doing  him  no  more  than  justice  to 
say  here,  that  his  conduct  for  the  last  year  or  two  had 
been  unexceptionable.  He  still  retained  the  name 
given  him  by  Mrs.  White,  but  his  dancing  days  were 
over.  He  was  perfectly  steady  at  all  times ;  and  the 
colonel  had  the  pleasure  of  taking  frequent  drives  with 
his  wife  by  his  side,  who  now  had  no  occasion  for  the 
slightest  fear.  Whether  this  change  had  been  brought 
about  by  the  good  examples  of  his  old  fellow-horse,  or 
through  his  own  instincts  of  what  the  duties  of  a  well- 
treated  horse  might  be,  or  whether  it  was  to  be  attrib- 
uted to  the  good  training  he  had  received  at  the  hands 
of  G-eorge  Herrick, —  under  whose  especial  charge  he 
was  placed  for  a  whole  year  immediately  after  his  dan- 
gerous freak  with  Colonel  White  and  Lucy,  —  we  leave 
the  reader  to  decide  according  to  the  evidence  in  the 
case. 

The  result  of  this  extra  exertion  made  by  a  few  of 
the  energetic  citizens  of  Harryseekit  was,  that  by  half 
past  twelve  o'clock  there  was  a  larger  gathering  at  the 
Town  Hall  than  had  been  seen  there  for  many  yeai-s. 
The  meeting  was  called  to  order  and  organized,  and 
the  chairman  briefly  stated  its  object.  Colonel  White 
at  once  moved  that  a  company  roll  be  prepared  for 
volunteers  to  sign,  and  that  a  subscription  paper  be 


80  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 

placed  on  the  table  for  such  sums  as  individuals  might 
see  fit  to  give  for  the  purpose  of  assisting  any  volun- 
teers who  might  need  ready  money,  or  for  the  help  of 
their  families  during  their  absence.  The  motion  was 
seconded,  and  declared  open  for  discussion. 

Several  speakers  addressed  the  meeting  briefly,  all 
in  favor  of  the  motion  ;  some  declaring  their  readiness 
to  enroll  their  names  as  soon  as  the  roll  was  ready, 
while  others  offered  to  subscribe  liberal  sums  on  the 
other  paper.  Many,  however,  in  urging  the  matter 
forward,  spoke  of  the  probable  briefness  of  the  coming 
struggle,  even  if  there  were  to  be  any  fighting  at  all, 
seeming  to  think  that  the  Southerners  would  recede  as 
soon  as  they  became  aware  of  the  firm  stand  taken  by 
the  government  and  by  the  whole  loyal  people.  One 
speaker  went  so  far  as  to  say  that  undoubtedly  many 
very  young  men  —  from  sixteen  to  eighteen  years  of 
age  —  would  be  anxious  to  enlist,  and  he  thought  they 
might  be  safely  taken,  as  there  would  probably  be  but 
one  catopaign,  and  that  a  short  one,  and  this  class 
could  be  spared  from  home  much  better  than  older 
men.  He  also  thought  that  the  call  of  the  president 
for  seventy-five  thousand  men  was  in  excess  of  the  real 
demands  of  the  case.  However,  he  was  in  favor  of 
raising  them. 

There  was  quite  a  crowd  of  lads  present,  ranging 


THE    YOUNG   INVINCIBLES.  81 

from  fifteen  to  eighteen  years  of  age,  including  Tom 
and  George,  interested  listeners  to  the  proceedings  of 
this  stirring  meeting.  When  the  speaker  alluded  to 
the  younger  class  of  patriots,  he  was  greeted  with 
applause  from  their  quarter  of  the  house — thus 
receiving  evidence  that  he  had  not  miscalculated  on 
their  willingness  to  enlist. 

Colonel  White  now  took  the  floor.  Every  sound 
was  hushed,  for  he  was  always  listened  to  with  much 
deference  when  he  addressed  a  meeting  of  any  descrip- 
tion, and,  in  the  present  instance,  his  remarks  were 
looked  forward  to  with  more  than  usual  interest,  on 
account  of  his  experience  in  military  matters.  He 
commenced  by  saying  that  he  was  much  gratified  at 
the  unanimity  of  opinion  expressed  as  to  the  furtherance 
of  the  main  object  of  the  meeting — that  of  raising  men 
and  money  to  meet  the  pressing  urgency  of  the  case. 
He  regretted,  however,  to  be  obliged  to  differ  from 
some  of  the  speakers  on  minor  points. 

"  In  the  first  place,"  continued  the  colonel,  "  with 
reference  to  the  president's  call  for  men.  One  gentle- 
tleman  thinks  a  less  number  of  volunteers  than  are 
called  for  would  have  answered  the  demands  of  the 
case.  But,  Mr.  Chairman,  I  wish  the  president  had 
asked  for  two  hundred  thousand  instead  of  seventy-five 
thousand.  I  have  no  wish  to  magnify  the  coming 
6 


82  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 

danger ;  but,  my  friends,  more  men,  many  more,  will 
be  needed.  Just  consider,  for  a  moment,  the  extent 
of  the  line  that  will  have  to  be  marked  by  the  border 
states.  We  cannot  say  with  any  certainty  at  the 
present  time  where  that  border  will  be  ;  but,  wherever 
it  proves  to  be,  its  extent  will  reach  thousands  of  miles, 
and  its  entire  length  will  have  to  be  almost  one  con- 
tinued palisade  of  bristling  bayonets.  Hence  it  is  easy 
to  see  that  seventy-five  thousand  men  cannot  possibly 
be  in  excess  of  the  demand. 

"  But  it  will  be  said  that  this  argument  rests  upon 
the  ground  that  the  South  is  to  maintain  the  stand 
she  has  taken,  and  that  a  general  civil  war  will  be 
the  result;  which  some  of  the  speakers  here  to-day 
think  will  not  be  the  case.  But,  fellow-citizens,  let 
me  tell  you  that  the  ambitious,  wicked  men  at  the 
South,  who  are  forcing  the  masses  of  their  people  into 
this  most  uncalled-for  rebellion,  would  never  have 
attempted  this  high-handed  assault  upon  our  govern- 
ment had  they  not  believed  themselves  well  prepared 
to  follow  it  up ;  and  now,  having  gone  thus  far,  they 
cannot  recede.  The  brand  of  traitor  is  stamped  on 
their  foreheads,  and  their  doom  is  sealed,  unless  they 
succeed  in  their  treasonable .  designs.  They  have 
staked  their  all  on  this  diabolical  stroke,  and  are 
determined  to  rule  or  die.  And  as  they  have  been 


TEE   YOUNG  INVINCIBLE S.  83 

preparing  whilst  we  have  been  sleeping,  and  as  they 
are  a  brave  people  as  well  as  we,  they  must  naturally 
gain  some  advantages  during  ou^period  of  preparation, 
and  thus  be  encouraged  to  make  still  greater  exertion. 
And,  fellow-citizens,  though  I  have  not  the  glimmer 
of  a  doubt  but  that  our  government  will,  eventually, 
crush  this  wicked  rebellion  totally  and  forever,  giving 
new  splendor  to  our  free  institutions,  and  additional 
strength  to  our  blessed  Union,  yet,  before  this  is  done, 
armies  are  to  be  marshalled  and  battles  are  to  be 
fought  on  such  a  scale  of  immensity  as  the  world 
never  yet  dreamed  of.  I  say  not  this  to  discourage, 
but  to  stimulate.  "We  must  realize  the  imminence  of 
the  danger  in  order  to  prepare  for  it. 

"  A  few  words  more,  Mr.  Chairman,  and  I  will 
close.  One  gentleman  has  alluded  to  our  loys,  and  to 
their  undoubted  willingness  to  enlist,  and  spoken  of 
their  ability  to  meet  the  requirements  of  a  soldier's 
life.  Of  their  willingness  to  serve  their  country  I  have 
not  the  slightest  doubt ;  for  at  an  early  hour  Saturday 
evening,  two  of  our  village  lads,  neither  of  them  much 
over  fifteen  years  of  age,  called  upon  me  for  advice  on 
this  very  matter,  having  made  up  their  minds,  on  the 
first  reception  of  the  news  of  the  fall  of  Fort  Sumter, 
to  enlist  at  once,  and  wanted  to  take  the  first  train  this 
morning  for  Boston,  and  join  some  regiment  there,  in 


84  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 

order  to  be  among  the  first  volunteers  to  arrive  at 
Washington." 

This  statement  was  responded  to  by  cheers  from  all 
parts  of  the  house. 

"  But,"  continued  the  old  gentleman,  "  I  advised 
them  —  as  I  do  now  every  young  man  within  the 
sound  of  my  voice  who  is  under  eighteen  —  not  to 
enlist  at  present.  Fellow-citizens,  I  had  an  opportu- 
nity to  see  the  folly,  the  wickedness,  of  having  boys  or 
very  young  men  in  the  army  during  that  disastrous 
campaign  of  1813  on  the  northern  frontier,  intended 
to  capture  Montreal,  in  which  the  young,  brave,  and 
energetic  General  Brown  rescued  our  army  from  the 
perilous  situation  in  which  it  had  been  placed  by  the 
incompetency,  or  something  worse,  of  Generals  Wilkin- 
son and  Hampton.  At  one  time  during  the  winter, 
nearly  one  half  of  the  army  was  down  from  fatigue 
and  exposure  ;  and  that  half  contained  about  all  of  the 
younger  portion. 

"  Mr.  Chairman,  and  friends,  I  entreat  you  not  to 
send  your  boys  into  the  army  when  it  is  not  absolutely 
necessary,  for  it  is  misery  to  them,  and  of  no  benefit 
to  government ;  but  let  us  set  good  examples  before 
them  here  at  home,  and  cause  their  love  of  country  to 
strengthen  with  their  growth,  so  that  they  may  here- 
after be  of  real  value  in  the  Union  ranks  if  they  are 


THE    YOUNG  INVINCIBLES.  85 

needed.  In  the  mean  time  there  will  be  work  enough 
here,  and  patriotic  work,  too,  for  them  to  do.  And 
there  will  be  opportunity  for  us  old  men  to  do  some- 
thing for  the  good  cause  also ;  ay,  and  our  wives  and 
daughters  likewise  can  lend  important  help.  Fellow- 
citizens,  let  us  remember  this  one  thing  as  all-impor- 
tant—  that  however  much  our  success  in  this  war 
may  depend  upon  the  endurance  and  the  bravery  of 
our  soldiers  on  the  field,  nearly,  if  not  equally,  as 
much  depends  upon  our  unremitting  exertions  and 
patriotism  at  home." 

As  Colonel  White  took  his  seat,  a  round  of  applause 
burst  forth  from  all  parts  of  the  hall,  his  remarks 
having  met  with  the  hearty  approval  of  all  present ; 
even  some  of  those  who  had  taken  different  views  of 
the  matter  at  an  earlier  stage  of  the  meeting  being  the 
first  to  acknowledge  that  the  colonel  had  the  right  of 
the  case. 

Squire  Belmont,  a  wealthy  citizen,  who  had  headed 
the  subscription  list  with  two  hundred  dollars,  and  had 
been  followed  by  Colonel  White  with  the  like  amount, 
now  rose,  and  said  he  would  like  to  ask  the  last 
speaker  for  the  names  of  the  two  lads  who  had  thus 
early  signified  to  him  their  readiness  to  enlist.  The 
colonel  replied  by  giving  the  names  —  George  Herrick 
and  Thomas  Sprightly.  The  announcement  was 


86  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 

greeted  with  loud  applause.  Squire  Belmont  then 
said,  — 

"  I  shall  always  consider  these  two  boys  as  the  first 
volunteers  from  Harryseekit,  and  I  propose  three 
cheers  for  them." 

The  cheers  were  given  with  a  will. 

Colonel  White  again  took  the  floor,  and  said,  — 

"  Mr.  Chairman,  pardon  me  for  one  moment  more. 
I  merely  wish  to  take  this  opportunity  to  pledge  my 
word  to  the  boys  of  Harryseekit,  that  if  they  will 
meet  at  my  house  once  a  week,  I  will  use  what  mili- 
tary knowledge  I  possess  in  giving  them  instructions 
until  they  become  well  acquainted  with  company 
drill." 

Three  enthusiastic  cheers  were  now  given  for 
Colonel  White.  The  motion  offered  by  that  gentle- 
man at  the  opening  of  the  meeting  was  then  passed 
unanimously,  the  selectmen  were  constituted  a  finance 
committee  to  take  charge  of  the  funds  raised,  and  to 
pay  them  over  to  the  proper  persons,  and  the  meeting 
adjourned. 

During  the  progress  of  the  meeting  the  expected 
order  had  been  received  from  the  adjutant-general 
calling  upon  all  volunteers,  in  companies,  to  report 
to  him  at  the  State  House  at  the  earliest  moment, 
and  receive  their  arms  and  equipments.  And  the 


THE    YOUNG   INVINCIBLES.  87 

patriotic  people  of  Harryseekit  had  the  satisfaction 
of  seeing  a  company  of  one  hundred  true  and  hardy 
men  leave  their  railroad  depot  that  evening  by  the  ten 
o'clock  train  for  the  capital  of  the  state,  where  they 
formed  a  part  of  the  first  regiment  that  left  that  point 
for  the  defence  of  Washington. 

Directly  after  the  adjournment  of  the  meeting  at 
the  Town  Hall,  the  boys  assembled  on  the  green  in 
front  of  the  building,  and  decided  to  accept  Colonel 
White's  offer  to  drill  them.  All  the  boys  were  consid- 
erably excited,  and  Tom  Sprightly  was  particularly 
lavish  with  his  "  peppermint  and  shoestrings,"  and 
offered  to  turn  "to  order"  any  number  of  somersets 
that  might  be  demanded. 

The  boys  finally  dispersed,  with  the  determination 
to  consult  their  parents  with  regard  to  the  scheme  of 
forming  a  company. 


88  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OB 


CHAPTER  X. 

TOM  SPRIGHTLY  AND   BOOBY   CHICKENS. 

S  Tom  was  somewhat  of  a  favorite  with  the 
boys  of  Harryseekit,  the  reader  may  as  well 
consider  him  in  the  play,  and  endeavor  to 
overlook  some  of  his  wild  pranks  in  consideration  of 
any  commendable  qualities  that  may  show  forth  through 
his  frolicsome  nature.  Perhaps  it  is  not  wholly  im- 
possible that  his  particular  friend,  George  Herrick, 
may  ultimately  have  as  good  success  in  taming  Aim, 
as  he  has  already  displayed  in  improving  the  be- 
havior of  Colonel  White's  wild  colt. 

That  a  warm  friendship  existed  between  these  two 
boys,  notwithstanding  the  great  dissimilarity  in  their 
temperaments,  actions,  and  conversation,  the  reader, 
of  course,  has  ere  this  discovered.  There  were  a 
number  of  good  reasons  for  this  friendship.  When 
George  first  came  into  that  neighborhood,  and  entered 
school,  although  a  bright,  intelligent  boy,  —  as  he 
has  shown  himself  to  be  from  the  first,  —  he  was 


THE    YOUNG  INVINCIBLES.  89 

behindhand  in  his  studies.  Now,  Tom  was  a  bright 
scholar.  He  could  understand  a  principle  at  a  glance, 
and  possessed  a  very  retentive  memory.  Notwith- 
standing he  seemed  scarcely  to  study  his  lessons  at  all, 
yet  he  never  failed.  He  could  commit  page  after  page 
to  memory  by  merely  reading  the  matter  over  once  or 
twice. 

He  at  once  volunteered  to  assist  George  Herrick  in 
his  lessons,  as  soon  as  he  saw  how  matters  stood,  and 
this  enabled  him  soon  to  become  one  of  the  first 
scholars  in  the  school.  George  appreciated  this  kind- 
ness. Torn,  although  he  made  use  of  many  foolish 
expressions,  was  never  profane.  This  corresponded 
with  George's  principles  and  practice.  Then,  again, 
the  former,  although  he  would  utter  most  extravagant 
assertions  for  the  sake  of  fun  and  frolic  (which  we  do 
not  pretend  to  excuse  in  him),  might  safely  be  de- 
pended upon  as  strictly  a  boy  of  truth  in  any  matter 
of  importance.  This,  also,  met  the  entire  approbation 
of  the  latter,  who  utterly  despised  a  falsehood. 

George,  on  his  part,  had  given  his  volatile  young 
friend  much  good  advice  -at  different  times,  for  which 
Tom  was,  in  reality,  truly  thankful,  though  in  most 
cases  he  was  sure  to  turn  the  matter  into  a  joke  at  the 
time.  Finally,  as  already  briefly  alluded  to  by  Tom, 
George  had,  on  one  occasion,  saved  him  from  serious 


90  PATRIOTISM  AT   HOME,    OR 

injury,  if  not  from  death,  by  rescuing  him  from  a 
furious  animal. 

Tom  had,  on  the  occasion  alluded  to,  jumped  over 
the  fence  into  Squire  Belmont's  pasture,  and  com- 
menced bellowing,  and  throwing  up  dirt  in  the  face 
and  eyes  of  a  savage  bull  owned  by  that  gentleman, 
trusting  to  his  own  nimbleness  of  foot  to  get  out  of 
the  way  when  he  should  have  sufficiently  attracted  the 
animal's  ire.  The  bull  soon  rushed  at  the  foolish  boy, 
and  he  sprang  to  the  fence ;  but  some  part  of  his 
clothing  caught  on  a  knot,  and  the  furious  brute 
dashed  madly  upon  him.  Fortunately  his  horns  missed 
him.  As  the  creature  drew  back  for  a  second  attack, 
George  Herrick  sprang  over  the  fence  and  dealt  him 
such  heavy  blows  on  his  nose  an^fore  legs  with  a  heavy 
club,  as  caused  him  to  beat  a  retreat  long  enough  for 
the  two  boys  to  put  the  fence  between  them  and  danger. 

George  had  endeavored  to  persuade  Tom  from  the 
foolish  adventure  ;  but  he  laughed  at  the  advice,  and 
came  near  paying  dearly  for  his  temerity.  We  have 
the  promise  in  his  own  words,  that  for  this  timely  as- 
sistance he  would  "  stand  by  George  Herrick  as  long 
as  he  lived."  ^ 

Tom  Sprightly  was  a  favorite  with  the  boys  gener- 
ally because  he  was  always  good-natured,  all  life  and 
spirits,  full  of  jokes,  pun§,  conundrums,  odd  sayings, 


THE   YOUNG   INVINCIBLES.  91 

and  fun  of  almost  every  description,  being  able  to 
string  off  any  amount  of  rhyming  nonsense,  impromptu, 
•which,  though  devoid  of  anything  like  poetry,  generally 
contained  sufficient  wit  to  please  his  mates ;  so  there 
was  sure  to  be  sport  of  some  sort  whenever  he  was 
present. 

He  has  feelingly  alluded  to  his  mother,  who  had 
been  dead  about  two  years,  thus  showing  that  there 
was  true  filial  affection  in  his  heart.  His  father  died 
before  Tom's  recollection,  and  since  his  mother's  death 
his  home  had  been  with  his  aunt  Huldah  French,  his 
mother's  sister. 

Mrs.  French  was  a  clever,  warm-hearted  woman, 
indulgent  to  her  children,  and  kind  and  obliging  to  her 
neighbors.  She  had  always  treated  Tom  equally  as 
well  as  her  own  children,  though  she  sometimes  at- 
tempted to  scold  him  for  some  of  his  pranks ;  but  Tom 
invariably  managed  on  such  occasions  to  hug,  and  kiss, 
and  joke  his  aunt  into  positive  good  nature,  and  usually 
wound  up  the  skirmish  by  insisting  on  "  titillating  his 
olfactory  nerves "  with  a  fine,  brown  powder,  which 
the  good  woman  carried  very  choicely  and  somewhat 
slyly  in  a  neat  little  box  in  her  pocket,  —  which  opera- 
tion the  impudent  young  fellow  called  "snuffing  the 
pipe  of  peace." 

Mr.  French  was  a  good-natured,  easy  sort  of  a  man, 


92  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 

carrying  on  the  cabinet-making  business  at  the  village. 
He  employed  a  few  men,  paid  all  his  bills  as  he  went 
along,  and  made  a  comfortable  living ;  and  this  seemed 
to  give  him  perfect  satisfaction.  He  was  fully  as  in- 
dulgent as  his  wife  to  our  friend  Tom,  and  conse- 
quently that  youth  had  a  very  easy  time  of  it.  True, 
for  the  last  year  he  had  been  an  apprentice  in  his 
uncle's  shop ;  but  he  was  as  quick  at  his  work  as  he 
had  been  at  his  studies,  and  as  Mr.  French  usually 
gave  him  a  certain  amount  of  work  to  do  each  day  as 
a  stint,  through  his  expertness  and  ingenuity  Tom 
managed  to  have  about  half  his  time  to  himself; 
though  —  to  his  credit  be  it  said — he  always  per- 
formed his  task  promptly  and  thoroughly. 

The  cabinet-maker  had  recently  obtained  the  nick- 
name "  Booby  French ; "  not  that  he  was,  by  any 
means,  dull  or  stupid,  but  "  Booby  "  had  been  coupled 
with  his  name  through  a  ludicrous  little  incident,  which 
we  will  here  relate. 

A  Mr.  Melcher,  living  at  a  distant  part  of  the  town, 
had  come  into  possession  of  a  few  fowls  of  a  large  and 
improved  breed,  called  "  booby  hens,"  and  he  kindly 
furnished  Mr.  French  with  a  dozen  of  the  eggs,  which 
he  placed  under  one  of  his  own  setting  hens  in  order 
to  obtain  a  flock  of  "  boobies." 

Now,   Tom  said    he    thought  all    hens  were  big 


THE    YOUNG  INYINCLBLES.  93 

"  boobies,"  for  you  might  put  any  kind  of  eggs  under 
them,  and  they  would  hatch  them  all  the  same,  and 
never  know  the  difference.  For  his  part,  he  didn't 
think  it  was  right  to  play  such  tricks  on  a  poor,  igno- 
rant hen !  Mr.  French,  however,  had  no  scruples  of 
the  kind,  and  had  told  all  his  neighbors  that  he  was 
expecting  a  brood  of  "  booby  "  chickens,  and  promised 
to  furnish- them  all  with  "booby"  eggs  next  season. 

As  no  chickens  appeared  at  the  usual  time,  the 
conclusion  was,  that  "booby"  eggs  had  very  thick 
shells.  At  the  close  of  another  week,  however,  Madam 
Biddy  stalked  forth,  much  delighted,  with  ten  little 
4'  boobies."  Mr.  French  and  his  wife  were  nearly  as 
much  pleased  as  the  hen  herself;  but  Tom  was  ap- 
parently more  delighted  than  any  of  the  party. 

"  Peppermint  and  shoestrings  !  "  he  exclaimed  ;  "  if 
this  old  hen  don't  take  first-rate  care  of  these  little 
'  boobies,'  she  deserves  to  be  well  ducked.'" 

After  a  day  or  two,  Tom's  aunt  said  to  Mr. 
French, — 

"  Husband,  those  are  the  queerest-looking  chickens 
I  ever  saw.  They  look  more  like  ducklings  than  any- 
thing else." 

So  the  whole  family  went  out  to  look  at  them. 

"They  do  look  a  little  like  ducks,"  replied  Mr. 
French ;  "  but  then  they  will  change  their  appear- 


94  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 

ance  very  much  as  soon  as  they  begin  to  feather 
out." 

"  If  they  don't  improve  fast  enough,"  said  Tom, 
very  soberly,  "aunt  Huldah  can  give  them  a  little  of 
her  quack  medicine." 

"  You'd  better  not  make  fun  of  my  medicine,  Tom," 
replied  his  aunt,  not  knowing  that  his  witticism  was 
intended  to  cut  in  two  directions ;  "  you  are  glad 
enough  to  take  some  of  it  yourself  when  you  have  a 
bad  cold." 

"  So  I  am,"  responded  Tom.  "  But  these  are  rather 
queer-looking  chicks,  any  way.  I  wish  I  could  think 
who  it  was  that  said  that  young  "  boobies "  always 
looked  like  ducks  !  "  —  but  Tom  couldn't  think. 

The  next  day  Mr.  French  invited  some  of  his  neigh- 
bors in  to  see  his  family  of  chickens.  They  were 
growing  nicely,  and  the  visitors  congratulated  Mrs. 
French  on  having  such  a  fine  brood  of  "  boobies ; " 
but  all  remarked,  "  How  much  they  look  like  ducks  !  " 

A  day  or  two  later,  Tom  rushed  into  the  house,  ex- 
claim ing,  — 

"Aunt  Huldah,  you'll  certainly  have  to  put  some 
of  your  '  Composition '  to  steep  for  your  '  boobies,'  for 
that  fool  of  an  old  hen  has  contrived  to  get  them  all 
into  the  mud  puddle  out  here,  and  they'll  surely  take 
their  death  of  cold." 


THE   YOUNG   INVINCIBLES.  95 

"  Don't  bother  me  with  your  nonsense  now,  Tom ; 
I'm  in  a  hurry,"  replied  Mrs.  French,  continuing  at 
her  work. 

"  There's  no  nonsense  about  it,  aunt,  unless  it's  the 
nonsense  of  that  old  hen  herself ;  she  don't  know  how 
to  take  care  of  those  little  darling  '  boobies'  half  as 
well  as  an  old  waddling  duck  would.  I  tell  you,  truly, 
they're  all  in  the  water." 

Now,  Mrs.  French  knew  Tom  well  enough  to  under- 
stand that  he  really  meant  what  he  said  in  this  last 
sentence ;  so  she  at  once  left  her  work,  and  followed 
him  to  the  door. 

"  I  do  declare !  if  that  don't  beat  me  ! "  she  ex- 
claimed, holding  up  both  hands ;  for,  true  enough, 
there  were  all  her  little  "  boobies  "  swimming  about  in 
the  muddy  water,  bobbing  their  tiny  heads  underneath 
it,  and  seeming  to  have  a  good  time  generally ;  while 
the  bewildered  old  hen  was  racing  around  the  edge  of 
the  puddle,  clucking,  and  screeching,  and  making  all 
the  noises  that  a  terrified  hen-mother  is  capable  of. 

At  this  moment  Mr.  French  came  into  the  yard,  and 
burst  forth  into  a  loud,  merry  laugh  as  he  looked  at 
the  ludicrous  picture — his  wife  standing  in  amaze- 
ment with  uplifted  hands,  Tom  half-knee  deep  in  the 
muddy  water,  apparently  endeavoring  to  catch  the 
aquatic  sporters,  which  were  scudding  about  in  every 


96  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 

direction,  while  the  old  hen  was  racing  and  squalling 
around  the  margin  of  the  little  pond  in  the  greatest 
possible  distress. 

"What  kind  of  a  show  have  you  here,  wife?"  he 
asked,  as  he  reached  her  side. 

"  Really,  I  don't  know,"  she  replied ;  "I  almost 
begin  to  think  there  is  some  witchcraft  about  this  hen 
and  her  chickens." 

"  I  think  you  had  better  send  this  old  hen  and  her 
queer  brood,  mud  puddle  and  all,  to  Barnum,  and  let 
him  put  the  whole  thing  into  his  Aquatic  Garden," 
suggested  Tom  to  his  uncle. 

"  These  things  look  and  act  more  and  more  like 
ducks  every  day,"  said  Mr.  French.  "  I  don't  know 
what  to  make  of  it.  Melcher  didn't  say  a  word  about 
their  looking  like  ducks,  or  going  into  the  water.  And 
he  said  the  eggs  were  the  real  '  English  boobies.' " 

"  I  guess  he  made  one  mistake,"  replied  Tom. 
"  I'll  bet  a  pinch  of  aunt  Huldah's  snuff  that  they 
were  French  '  boobies,'  and  that's  the  reason  the  hen 
and  chickens  can't  understand  each  other." 

"  Well,"  responded  his  uncle,  "  Melcher  will  proba- 
bly be  down  to  the  Corner  again  in  a  day  or  two,  and 
I'll  get  him  to  look  in  and  see  if  he  can  understand  it. 
I  have  no  doubt  but  they  will  come  out  all  right  at 
last." 


THE   TOUNG  INVINCIBLES.  97 

"  They  are  coming  out  now,"  said  Tom,  as  the 
whole  brood  began  to  scramble  up  on  one  side  of  the 
little  puddle,  much  to  the  joy  of  the  old  hen. 

During  the  next  few  days  Mrs.  French  had  more 
callers  than  she  could  well  attend  to,  and  all  must  see 
the  "  booby "  chickens.  They  were  much  admired  ; 
but  still  came  the  exclamation,  "  How  much  they  look 
like  ducks !  " 

Whenever  Tom  was  present,  he  explained,  that 
there  was  a  large  water-fowl,  of  the  pelican  tribe, 
called  the  "  booby  ;  "  and  probably  this  name  had  been 
given  to  this  kind  of  hen  because  the  chickens,  when 
quite  young,  had  an  inclination  to  take  to  the  water, 
and  also  because  they  slightly  resembled  the  duck. 

The  question  was  finally  settled,  however,  by  Mr. 
Melcher  himself,  whom  Mr.  French  brought  home 
with  him  one  day.  The  moment  that  gentleman  saAV 
the  hen  and  her  brood,  he  exclaimed,  — 

"Why,  French,  these  things  were  never  hatched 
from  the  eggs  I  brought  you — they  are  nothing  but 
ducks  !  " 

Mr.  French  looked  at  his  wife,  his  wife  looked  at 
Mr.  French,  they  both  looked  at  Mr.  Melcher,  all 
looked  at  Tom ;  and  Tom  looked  at  the  old  hen  and 
her  ducks  for  a  moment,  and  then  cried  out,  with  appa- 
rent indignation,  — 

7 


98  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 

"  Peppermint  and  shoestrings !  this  is  too  bad  !  but 
I  told  you,  uncle  French,  at  the  commencement,  that 
all  hens  were  '  boobies ; '  that  you  could  never  tell 
what  they  would  hatch  out,  and  that  they  never  knew 
themselves  what  they  had  hatched.  I  really  believe  if 
you  had  put  a  lot  of  frog's  eggs  under  that  old  hen, 
she  would  have  hatched  them  all  out,  and  expected 
them  to  crow  !  " 

"  O,  Tom,  Tom,"  exclaimed  Mrs.  French,  while 
all  three  were  heartily  laughing  at  his  odd  conceit, 
"  this  is  some  of  your  work,  and  I  don't  know  as  I  shall 
ever  forgive  you.  Mr.  Melcher  took  so  much  pains  to 
bring  us  those  eggs,  and  then  to  have  you  throw  them 
away  for  a  lot  of  duck's  eggs  !  " 

"  Aunt  Huldah,"  expostulated  Tom,  "  how  can  you 
think  I  would  do  such  a  thing  as  throw  away  a  dozen 
eggs  —  especially  'booby'  eggs?  I  shouldn't  expect 
you  to  forgive  me  if  I  had  done  such  a  thing.  But  I 
don't  see  how  I'm  to  blame  for  their  turning  to  duck's 
eggs-" 

"  That  won't  do,  Tom ;  I  know  this  must  be  some 
of  your  work,"  repeated  his  aunt. 

"  Mr.  Melcher,"  said  Tom,  turning  to  that  gentle- 
man, "  I  would  like  to  have  you  come  now  and  see 
my  boobies ;  I've  got  some  of  the  pure  breed  —  some 
of  the  regular  school  —  no  quackery  about  mine  ;  "  and 


THE    YOUNG  INVINCIBLES.  99 

Tom  led  the  way  round  the  end  of  the  wood-shed, 
where,  sure  enough,  was  another  hen,  with  a  full 
dozen  of  as  bright-looking  chickens  as  one  would  wish 
to  see. 

"  What  do  you  think  of  those,  Mr.  Melcher?  "  asked 
Tom,  pointing  with  pride  to  the  brood  of  little  chirp- 
ers.  "  My  '  booby '  eggs  didn't  turn  to  duck's  eggs, 
and  come  out  web-footed." 

Mr.  Melcher  at  once  pronounced  Tom's  flock  of 
chickens  to  be  of  the  genuine  "  booby  "  breed. 

"  Now,  aunt  Huldah,"  said  Tom,  "  notwithstanding 
you  accused  me  of  throwing  away  your  eggs,  I'll  do 
the  fair  thing  by  you.  I'll  give  you  these  twelve  real 
'  boobies '  for  your  ten  little  flat-bills,  and  you  must  give 
me  a  pinch  of  snuff  to  boot." 

"Agreed,"  replied  his  aunt,  laughing.  "  And  now, 
Tom,  tell  us  how  it  all  happened." 

"  What !  tell  you  how  ducks  were  hatched  from 
hen's  eggs  ?  Why  should  I  know  how  it's  done  ?  That 
lays  with  the  old  hen,  and  she  must  set  it  right ;  "  and 
Tom  turned  a  somerset,  and  away  he  ran  down  to  the 
shop  to  relate  the  finale  of  the  "booby"  enterprise, 
leaving  his  uncle  and  aunt,  with  Mr.  Melcher,  to  guess 
the  matter  out. 

Not  intending  to  leave  the  reader  guessing,  how- 
ever, we  will  merely  say  that  the  next  day  after  the 


100  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OS 

"booby"  eggs  were  put  under  the  hen,  Tom  found 
another  hen  preparing  to  set ;  so  he  procured  a  dozen 
duck's  eggs  and  substituted  them  for  the  "  booby " 
eggs,  and  put  the  latter  under  the  second  hen.  Con- 
sequently, about  a  week  before  the  first  hen  came 
out  with  her  ducks,  the  second  marshalled  forth 
her  brood  of  genuine  "  boobies ;  "  but  as  they  va- 
ried very  slightly  at  first  from  ordinary  chickens, 
and  as  the  first  hen  was  the  point  of  attraction  to 
everybody  but  Tom,  the  ducks  had  received  all  the 
attention. 


THE    YOUNG  INVINCIBLE S.  101 


CHAPTER   XI. 

THE  YOUNG  INYINCIBLES. 

r(/f^)OLONEL  WHITE'S  proposition  to  become 
the  instructor  of  the  boys  in  military  tactics 
was  so  popular  with  them,  that  in  the  course 
of  a  few  days  they  had  a  roll  of  fifty  names  —  their 
ages  ranging  all  the  way  from  twelve  to  fifteen  years. 
George  Herrick  and  Tom  Sprightly  took  much  interest 
in  the  movement,  and,  by  consulting  freely  with  the 
colonel,  were  enabled  to  give  the  other  boys  a  good 
deal  of  information  with  regard  to  what  was  expected 
of  them  at  first. 

The  greater  part  of  them  had  the  idea  that  they 
must  have  muskets  to  commence  with ;  and  although 
many  of  the  boys'  parents  were  perfectly  willing  to 
furnish  them,  there  were  others  that  demurred,  either 
because  they  thought  the  organization  would  amount 
to  nothing,  or  from  motives  of  economy.  However, 
this  difficulty  was  soon  settled  by  word  from  Colonel 
White  to  the  effect  that  he  should  drill  them  some 


102  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 

time  without  arms  or  equipments,  and  then  both  they 
and  their  parents  could  judge  better  whether  the  object 
was  of  sufficient  moment  to  warrant  the  trouble  and 
expense  of  a  military  outfit.  This  arrangement  suited 
the  large  majority  of  the  boys,  although  some  few, 
who  had  received  the  promise  of  a  gun  and  equip- 
ments, felt  a  little  disappointment  at  first,  and  thought 
there  could  not  be  much  fun  in  being  soldiers  without 
arms. 

While  these  youthful  patriots  of  Harryseekit  were 
discussing  and  making  their  little  arrangements  for 
the  formation  of  their  company,  events  were  daily 
transpiring,  in  various  parts  of  the  country,  that  were 
the  precursors  of  a  mighty  conflict  of  principles  and  of 
arms,  which  was  to  shake  the  government  of  this  free 
people  to  its  foundations,  and  startle  Christendom  with 
its  magnitude  and  bloodshed.  A  few  days  after  the 
surrender  of  Sumter  came  the  news  of  the  shooting  of 
Massachusetts  troops  in  Baltimore,  followed  closely  by 
the  burning  of  the  Gosport  Navy  Yard,  the  secession 
of  Virginia,  loyal  troops  pouring  into  "Washington  by 
thousands,  the  stormy  debates  in  Congress,  the  with- 
drawal of  southern  Congressmen,  another  call  by 
President  Lincoln  for  eighty-two  thousand  additional 
men  for  the  army  and  navy,  the  capture  of  Alexandria 
and  the  murder  of  Colonel  Ellsworth,  the  unfortunate 


THE    YOUNG   INVINCIBLE S.  103 

battle  at  Great  Bethel,  where  the  gallant  Major  Win- 
throp  lost  his  life,  together  with  terrible  threats  and 
overt  acts  by  the  southern  people  generally. 

All  this,  of  course,  served  to  fan  the  flame  of  patri- 
otism that  was  burning  in  the  breasts  of  all  loyal 
people,  and  the  boys  of  Harryseekit  were  not  an 
exception.  Probably  some  of  these  lads  thought  that 
the  military  movement  they  were  about  to  engage  in 
would  afford  them  amusement  and  recreation  merely  ; 
but  the  sequel  will  show  whether  any  of  them  were 
prompted  by  motives  of  duty  and  love  of  country.  At 
all  events,  by  placing  themselves  under  the  instruction 
of  so  thorough  a  soldier,  patriot,  and  Christian  as  was 
Colonel  White,  they  were  in  a  school  where  they  could 
not  fail  to  improve  in  some  of  the  qualities  that  go  to 
make  up  the  honest  and  true  citizen  of  a  free  Christian 
government. 

Wednesday  afternoon  of  each  week  was  decided 
upon  as  drill-day,  to  accommodate  such  of  the  boys  as 
attended  school.  At  their  first  meeting,  which  took 
place  on  the  green  in  front  of  Colonel  White's  house, 
ten  days  after  the  subject  was  first  agitated,  every  boy 
whose  name  was  enrolled  was  promptly  on  the  ground 
at  two  o'clock,  the  appointed  hour.  The  colonel  had 
given  G-eorge  Herrick  some  private  lessons  in  military 
tactics,  as  soon  as  he  found  that  the  boys  seriously 


104  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OB 

entertained  his  proposition,  in  order  that  he  might 
have  some  little  assistance  if  he  deemed  it  necessary. 
He  now  instructed  him  to  form  the  boys  into  line, 
according  to  size,  and  to  say  that  he  would  be  with 
them  in  a  few  minutes.  The  boys  were  very  orderly, 
and  George  formed  them  in  line  with  considerable 
military  precision.  Colonel  White  presently  made  his 
appearance,  and  addressed  the  company  as  follows :  — 

"  Boys  of  Harry seekit :  it  gives  me  much  satisfaction 
to  see  you  here  so  promptly  and  in  such  numbers,  and, 
above  all,  to  see  you  so  orderly ;  for  order  is  the 
one  controlling  element  in  all  military  operations,  and 
obedience  to  orders  the  first  duty  of  a  soldier.  And 
although  I  shall  have  neither  the  inclination  nor  the 
authority  to  place  you  under  guard  for  disobedience, 
or  have  you  shot  if  you  desert,  yet  I  trust  and  believe 
that  your  conduct  in  the  ranks  will  ever  be  such  as 
will  redound  to  your  own  self-respect,  to  the  honor  of 
your  parents,  and  to  the  welfare  of  your  beloved  coun- 
try, whose  battles  you  may  yet  be  called  upon  to 
fight. 

"  Do  not  understand  by  this,  my  young  friends,  that 
I  intend  to  be  a  harsh  disciplinarian  with  you  :  on  the 
contrary,  I  shall  allow  you  much  freedom  of  thought, 
word,  and  action,  especially  while  drilling  you  without 
arms ;  but  I  shall  allow  you  this  liberty  by  giving  you 


THE    YOUNG  INVINCIBLES,  105 

frequent '  rests '  —  at  other  times  your  own  good  sense 
will  tell  you  that  there  must  be  no  interruptions. 

"  I  want  you  all  to  feel  that  you  are  really  serving 
your  country  by  this  arrangement.  All  the  importance 
of  the  matter  does  not  consist  in  the  mere  fact  that  you 
will  be  gaining  information  in  military  tactics,  thus 
fitting  you,  in  a  measure,  for  actual  duty  at  some  future 
day,  should  the  country  demand  your  services  ;  but,  if 
you  conduct  yourselves  with  propriety,  your  example 
will  have  its  influence  in  other  towns  and  states,  and 
perhaps  be  the  means  of  awakening  the  country  to  the 
importance  of  a  general  system  of  military  instruction 
for  the  youth  of  the  land. 

"  Finally,  boys,  as  an  organized  company  you  will 
be  much  more  efficient  in  performing  patriotic  duties 
here  at  home  than  you  would  otherwise  be.  And 
there  will  be  no  lack  of  opportunities  for  all  of  us 
to  show  our  love  of  country.  The  helping  hand  of 
every  man,  woman,  and  child  throughout  the  loyal 
states  will  be  needed.  And,  boys  of  Harryseekit,  I 
want  each  one  of  you  to  feel  that  it  is  to  your  willing 
hearts  and  strong  hands  in  the  future  —  and  to  those 
of  your  age  throughout  the  land  —  that  the  govern- 
ment is  to  look  for  the  completion  of  the  work  that 
our  brave  volunteers  in  the  field  are  just  now  com- 
mencing. And  I  want  each  one  of  you  to  bear  this 


106  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,   OR 

important  fact  in  mind,  —  as  this  deplorable  strife 
progresses,  and  you  hear  different  views  expressed  as 
to  its  cause  and  its  continuance,  —  that  the  war  was 
commenced  by  a  band  of  traitors  firing  on  our  glorious 
old  flag,  and  that  it  must  never  end  so  long  as  one  of 
those  traitors  continues  in  arms" 

The  colonel's  little  speech  was  vociferously  applauded 
by  his  attentive  listeners,  and  Tom  Sprightly  remarked 
to  his  near  companions,  "  I  "wish  Colonel  White 
could  lead  us  right  off  to  the  seat  of  war,  for  I  believe 
that  any  man  or  boy  whose  whole  heart  is  in  the  cause, 
if  he  had  to  go  on  crutches,  would  be  worth  more  than 
many  an  able-bodied,  big  two-fisted  fellow  who  leaves 
his  heart  at  home,  and  takes  nothing  but  a  gizzard 
with  him." 

"And  a  'booby'  gizzard  at  that,  Tom,"  added 
Charlie  Sprague  at  his  side  —  the  boy  who  had  fur- 
nished Tom  with  some  duck's  eggs  on  a  previous 
occasion. 

Colonel  White  now  proceeded  to  make  a  division  of 
the  company,  finding  the  number  too  large  for  conven- 
ience. He  placed  twenty  of  them  in  one  rank  at  such 
a  distance  from  the  others  as  to  avoid  any  interference 
in  the  orders,  and  gave  them  in  charge  of  George  Her- 
rick,  giving  his  own  attention  to  the  larger  portion 
placed  in  a  similar  manner.  By  taking  his  own 


THE    YOUNG  INVINCIBLES.  107 

position  at  a  convenient  distance  in  front  of  their 
centre,  he  concluded  that  he  could  command  a  better 
view  of  the  whole  than  at  any  other  point.  George 
Herrick  took  a  similar  position  in  front  of  his  squad, 
and  the  first  lesson,  which  consisted  of  the  "  Position 
of  the  Soldier,"  commenced  by  the  instructor  and  his 
assistant. 

This  lesson,  the  pupils  were  informed,  was  of  great 
importance,  and  should  be  thoroughly  learned,  as  it 
enabled  the  soldier  always  to  occupy  his  allotted  space 
and  no  more,  to  maintain  an  easy  and  graceful  posi- 
tion, and  to  retain  the  full  use  of  his  limbs  without 
interfering  with  his  brother  soldier  to  the  right  or  left, 
front  or  rear.  The  colonel  had  a  very  easy  and  pleas- 
ing, but  yet  impressive  way  of  imparting  information, 
which  rendered  the  task  an  agreeable  one  to  the  pupils  ; 
and  as  George  Herrick  was  almost  idolized  by  the 
village  boys,  and  fully  understood  this  primary  lesson, 
he  was  nearly  as  successful  a  teacher  as  the  old  gen- 
tleman himself. 

Hence,  in  the  course  of  an  hour,  these  fifty  boys, 
who  had  never  given  this  subject  the  slightest  attention 
before,  made  quite  a  military  appearance,  as  far  as 
position  was  concerned,  standing  with  their  heels  in  a 
perfectly  straight  line ;  their  feet  forming  the  proper 
angle,  and  turned  out  with  uniform  precision ;  their 


108  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OB 

knees  were  straight  without  stiffness,  and  their  bodies 
perpendicular,  with  a  very  slight  forward  inclination  ; 
the  shoulders  properly  thrown  back,  dropping  equally, 
with  the  arms  hanging  naturally,  and  the  elbows  close 
to  the  sides ;  the  face  square  to  the  front,  but  not  in 
a  constrained  manner,  and  the  eyes  directed  to  the 
ground  at  some  twelve  or  fifteen  paces  distant. 

Colonel  White  occasionally  passed  over  to  George's 
squad,  pointing  out  any  little  irregularities  that  he 
noticed,  and  making  suggestions  to  ^the  pupils,  that 
they  might  feel  that  they  were  really  as  much  under 
his  instruction  as  the  other  rank  was.  He  took  par- 
ticular pains  to  explain  to  the  boys  the  utility  of  the 
positions  required,  as  well  as  their  bearing  on  each 
other,  believing  that  any  lesson  makes  a  much  deeper 
impression  upon  the  pupil  if  he  knows  the  why  and 
the  wherefore. 

The  colonel  was  highly  gratified  at  the  aptness  of 
his  pupils,  and  complimented  them  for  their  attention 
and  progress  ;  telling  them,  that  notwithstanding  these 
first  lessons  might  not  interest  them  very  much,  still 
they  were  of  the  utmost  importance  if  they  wished  to 
become  thorough  soldiers  ;  and  he  presumed  that  each 
successive  lesson  would  prove  more  and  more  inter- 
esting to  them. 

The   evidence,   however,  was   good  that  this   first 


THE    YOUNG   INVINC1BLES.  109 

lesson  in  military  instruction  had  not  been  uninterest- 
ing to  the  boys ;  for  when  their  instructor  informed 
them  that  they  had  been  under  drill  for  the  space  of 
two  hours,  and  that  he  should  now  dismiss  them,  they 
were  much  surprised,  and  could  scarcely  believe  that 
so  much  time  had  elapsed. 

Upon  being  dismissed,  they  gave  three  cheers  for 
Colonel  White,  and  then  collected  around  Uncle  Bill, 
who  had  stood  looking  over  the  fence  at  them  during 
the  whole  time  they  had  been  engaged. 

"  Well,  Uncle  Bill,"  said  Tom  Sprightly,  turning  a 
somerset  close  to  the  old  sailor's  head,  "  what  do  you 
think  of  our  first  attempt  at  military  tactics?" 

"  O,  you  did  very  well  for  young  land-lubbers," 
replied  the  old  seaman,  with  a  slight  approach  to  a 
smile  at  one  corner  of  the  mouth,  and  a  quizzical  wink 
with  one  eye  ;  "  but  you  should  have  seen  us  '  boys  in 
blue '  on  the  decks  of  '  Old  Ironsides '  under  the 
gallant  Hull,  if  you  wanted  something  good  for  sore 
eyes." 

"  Did  you  ever  want  anything  for  sore  lacks  on 
board  that  delectable  'Old  Ironsides/  Uncle  Bill?" 
asked  Tom,  with  a  knowing  look. 

"  I  don't  recollect  anything  about  that,  you  young 
rogue,"  was  the  sober  answer. 


110  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 

"  Your  memory  don't  extend  lack  so  far  as  that," 
suggested  Tom. 

"  Come,  now,  Uncle  Bill,  candidly,"  said  G-eorge 
Herrick,  "  don't  you  think  we  did  pretty  well  for 
the  first  time?" 

"  Yes,  yes,  I  suppose  I  may  as  well  say  that  you 
did*,"  was  the  old  sailor's  answer,  who  was  on  most 
excellent  terms  with  all  the  lads  of  the  village,  though 
it  was  a  hard  matter  for  him  to  admit  that  a  boy  could 
be  good  for  much  on  the  land. 

"  Now,  Uncle  Bill,"  said  Tom  Sprightly,  "  we  want 
a  name  for  our  company,  and  as  you  have  paid  us  the 
first  compliment,  you  shall  have  the  honor  of  giving  us 
the  name." 

"  Yes,  a  name  !  a  name  !  "  shouted  a  dozen  boys  in 
the  same  breath. 

"  I  don't  know  about  that,"  replied  the  old  sailor, 
"  for  I  haven't  kept  a  very  close  reckoning  in  land 
phrases,  and  I  should  probably  find  myself  in  the 
wrong  latitude." 

"  We'll  risk  that,  Uncle  Bill,"  said  George  Herrick  ; 
"  come,  now  for  the  name.  Attention  —  boys  !  " 

"  I'd  ought  to  have  a  bottle  to  break,  as  we  do  at  a 
launching  when  the  ship  is  named,"  suggested  the  old 
seaman ;  and  bringing  his  arm  back  suddenly  as  if  in 
the  act  of  swinging  the  bottle,  he  struck  Tom  Sprightly 


THE    YOUNG   INVINCIBLES.  Ill 

a  slight  blow  in  the  mouth,  which  caused  the  youngster 
to  spin  around  like  a  top,  and  exclaim,  — 

"  Uncle  Bill,  I  owe  you  one  for  that.  Because  you 
hadn't  a  bottle  to  break  you  thought  you'd  break  my 
'  mug,'  did  you  ?  " 

Tom  was  not  much  hurt,  and  if  he  had  been  it 
would  have  passed  for  a  good  joke  with  him ;  so  the 
boys  all  roared  with  laughter,  and  Uncle  Bill  asked 
his  pardon.  Then,  swinging  his  hat  in  the  air,  the 
old  sailor  exclaimed,  — 

"  Success  to  the  Young  Invincibles  t " 

"  Good !  good  ! "  shouted  Tom  Sprightly ;  "  three 
cheers  for  Uncle  Bill  and  the  name  !  " 

The  cheers  were  heartily  given.  Colonel  White, 
who  had  been  standing  a  little  one  side  enjoying  the 
scene,  now  stepped  forward  among  the  merry  group, 
and  said,  — 

"  Young  Invincibles :  our  old  friend  here  has  given 
you  a  name  that  I  trust  will  inspire  you  with  a  com- 
mendable ambition.  Invincibility  at  home  is  of  equal 
importance  with  that  of  the  battle-field.  You  have 
only  to  prove  yourselves,  individually  and  collectively, 
invincible  to  all  wrong,  in  order  to  stand  forth  with 
modest  firmness  as  ever  unvanquished." 

The  pupils  and  their  instructor  now  separated,  to 
meet  again  at  the  same  hour  and  place  a  week  hence. 


112  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 

The  first  drill  of  the  Young  Invincibles  had  thus 
proved  perfectly 'satisfactory  to  all  parties  concerned, 
and  their  future  meetings  were  looked  forward  to  with 
much  interest. 

Our  stanch  old  patriot,  Colonel  White,  felt  that 
there  was  a  deeper  importance  attached  to  this  work 
he  had  undertaken  than  all  the  military  information  he 
should  be  able  to  impart  to  his  pupils,  although  he 
considered  this  of  no  slight  moment.  But  he  was  one 
of  the  few  who  appeared  tp  realize  the  magnitude  and 
duration  of  the  struggle  that  had  already  commenced, 
and  he  saw  that  the  means,  the  patriotism,  and  the 
endurance  of  the  people  were  to  be  taxed  as  never 
before  since  the  Revolution.  He  knew  there  would 
be  diverse  opinions  as  to  the  measures  of  the  govern- 
ment, and  the  management  of  the  war ;  that  there 
would  be,  as  in  all  wars,  conscientious  peace  men  to 
meet  with  fair  argument,  and  concealed  and  open 
traitors  in  our  very  midst  to  guard  against  and 
secure. 

Anticipating  all  this,  the  patriotic  old  soldier  con- 
cluded, that,  in  addition  to  what  influence  he  might 
exert  over  his  fellow-citizens  generally,  he  could,  at 
the  same  time  he  was  imparting  military  information 
to  the  youth  of  the  village,  instil  into  their  minds,  or 
keep  alive  there,  such  a  love  of  country  as  would  have 


THE    YOUNG  INVINCIBLES.  113 

its  effect  upon  every  family  so  reached.  Hence  fifty 
warm-hearted  and  ardent  boys  were  thus  made  to  act 
as  so  many  apostles  of  patriotism  to  keep  alive  the  fire 
that  might  otherwise  grow  dim  or  expire.  And  thus 
would  he  be  the  means  of  adding  to  that  patriotism  at 
home,  the  influence  of  which  he  felt  certain  would  be 
required  to  give  support  to  our  brave  and  hardy 
soldiers  in  the  field.  What  nobler  cause  could  an 
old  soldier  on  the  brink  of  the  grave  be  engaged 
in?  No  wonder  the  boys  all  admired  him  I 
8 


114  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,   OR 


CHAPTER    XH. 

NEIGHBORLY    DUTIES. 

COLONEL  WHITE  was  not  one  of  that  class 
of  men  who  forget  or  neglect  the  every-day 
duties  of  life  in  carrying  out  those  which  they 
consider  of  far  greater  importance.  Hence,  while  he 
was  himself  earnestly  engaged  in  acts  of  patriotism, 
and  was  urging  upon  his  family  and  others  the  neces- 
sity of  exerting  themselves  in  the  same  direction,  we 
still  find  him  fully  alive  to  those  private,  neighborly, 
Christian  duties  that  are  constantly  arising  in  every 
social  circle.  He  was  particularly  careful  to  caution 
the  members  of  his  own  family  against  forgetting  for 
a  single  day  the  demands  upon  them  of  the  poor  or 
the  sick  that  had  or  might  come  to  their  knowledge. 

The  colonel  did  not  content  himself  with  forming 
a  company  of  boys,  but  had  also  impressed  Lucy  with 
the  idea  of  starting  the  project  of  an  organization  of 
young  school-girls,  to  be  called  the  "  School-girls'  Sol- 
diers' Aid  Society,"  whose  labors  should  consist  in 


THE    YOUNG   INVINCIBLES.  115 

manufacturing  little  articles  of  comfort  and  conven- 
ience, and  in  collecting  light  sanitary  stores,  as  well 
as  books,  papers,  or  whatever  might  amuse  or  instruct, 
and  have  the  same  forwarded  at  convenient  seasons  to 
sick  and  wounded  soldiers  who  would  soon  fill  our  hos- 
pitals. Lucy  commenced  the  work  immediately,  and 
became  very  much  interested  in  it ;  so  much  so,  that 
before  many  days  she  had  a  sufficient  number  enlisted 
in  the  movement  to  form  a  society  of  quite  a  respect- 
able size,  and  which  her  grandmother  and  some  other 
ladies  immediately  proceeded  to  organize  in  a  proper 
manner. 

Colonel  White,  seeing  that  his  granddaughter  was 
so  much  taken  up  with  this  movement,  and  fearing 
that  she  might  be  forgetting  some  of  her  other  duties, 
said  to  her  one  evening,  — 

"  Lucy,  my  darling,  have  you  heard  from  Mrs. 
Swift  to-day?" 

"  0,  yes,  grandfather,"  she  replied,  in  somewhat  of 
a  surprised  tone ;  "  I  never  miss  going  there  every 
day.  And  George  also  calls  every  day  or  evening,  to 
see  if  there  is  anything  he  can  do.  But  Lizzie  says 
that  Tom  Sprightly  is  so  kind  and  attentive  that  he 
scarcely  leaves  anything  for  the  rest  of  the  kind  neigh- 
bors to  do." 

"  I  am  very  happy  to  hear  that  none  of  you  have 


116  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 

forgotten  that  poor,  suffering  woman  since  this  war 
excitement  commenced.  How  was  she  to-day  ? " 

"  I  don't  see  any  change  in  her  from  day  to  day, 
and  Lizzie  says  she  don't,  either ;  but  by  comparing 
her  condition  from  month  to  month,  she  says  she  can 
see  that  her  mother  is  gradually  growing  weaker  and 
weaker.  She  is  barely  able  to  sit  up  long  enough  to 
have  her  bed  made." 

"And  how  does  that  noble  little  Lizzie  continue  to 
bear  up  under  her  great  and  responsible  duty?  I 
imagined  a  few  days  since,  when  I  was  in  there,  that 
she  began  to  look  haggard  and  thin." 

"I  haven't  noticed  it,  grandfather.  She  not  only 
appears  to  be  in  good  health,  but  in  good  spirits, 
and  even  cheerful.  One  who  didn't  know  her  would 
scarcely  believe  she  could  appear  so  cheerful  when  she 
is  over  her  sick  and  dying  mother  all  the  time.  Her 
mother  says  she  is  just  as  cheerful  when  alone  with 
her  as  when  anybody  is  present,  and  that  she  can  bear 
her  sufferings  much  better  than  if  Lizzie  was  moping 
and  unhappy." 

"There  are  few  such  girls  as  Lizzie  Swift.  She 
deserves  and  will  receive  greater  reward  for  her  devo- 
tion to  her  sick  mother  than  this  world  can  bestow." 

"  She's  the  best  girl  I  ever  saw,  grandfather.  Only 
to  think  of  her  doing  all  the  work,  having  all  the  care 


THE    YOUNG  1NVINCIELES.  117 

of  that  little  wild  sister  of  hers,  and  nursing  her  sick 
mother  day  and  night  as  she  does  !  " 

"  It  is  truly  wonderful,  and  only  shows  what  a 
young  girl,  even,  can  do,  if  she  understands  her  duty, 
and  her  heart  is  in  the  work,"  replied  the  old  gen- 
tleman. 

"  And  then  she  is  so  thankful  for  what  any  one  does 
for  her  that  there  is  much  more  satisfaction  in  helping 
her  than  some  others.  To-day  she  spoke  in  particular 
about  the  kindness  of  Tom  Sprightly.  She  says  he 
comes  there  every  day,  and  some  days  two  or  three 
times.  He  will  talk  with  her,  and  try  to  find  out  some 
little  thing  that  her  mother  thinks  she  would  like,  and 
then  off  he  goes  and  gets  it.  Sometimes  he  will  bring 
her  a  nice  little  mess  of  trouts,  and  then  again  a  young 
pigeon.  She  had  no  idea  that  Tom  could  be  so 
thoughtful,  or  that  he  had  so  kind  a  heart,  till  since 
her  mother  has  been  so  sick.  She  said  she  was  not  at 
all  surprised  at  George's  kindness,  because  he  is 
always  so  thoughtful  about  everything.  "What  a  pity 
it  is,  grandfather,  that  Tom  is  so  wild !  " 

"  O,  Tom  is  a  boy  of  good  principles,  only  he's  a 
dear  lover  of  fun.  I've  no  doubt  but  that  he'll  make 
a  good,  smart,  steady  man." 

"  I  hope  so,"  said  Lucy,  with  a  good  deal  of  earnest- 


118  PATBIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 

Mrs.  Swift  was  a  widow,  her  husband  having  been 
dead  about  a  year.  She  was  left  in  poor  circum- 
stances, with  two  young  daughters,  Lizzy  and  Mary ; 
the  former  being  thirteen  at  the  time  of  her  father's 
death,  and  the  latter  four  years  younger.  Mrs.  Swift 
had  been  in  a  slow,  lingering  consumption  for  years  ; 
and  two  years  before  her  husband  died  she  had  been 
obliged  to  refrain  from  all  work,  and  wholly  give  up 
the  management  of  household  affairs.  Mr.  Swift 
knew  not  what  to  do.  His  circumstances  would  not 
allow  of  his  paying  a  housekeeper  and  nurse,  and  the 
family  had  no  female  relative  who  could  devote  her 
services  to  them. 

At  this  trying  juncture  Lizzie  Swift,  then  eleven 
years  of  age,  proved  herself  a  priceless  jewel.  She 
had  always  been  of  great  assistance  to  her  feeble 
mother,  performing  all  the  work  she  possibly  could 
when  out  of  school.  One  day,  when  Lizzie  came 
from  school  at  noon,  she  found  her  mother  much  more 
poorly  than  usual,  but  still  attempting  to  get  dinner. 
The  child  at  that  moment  made  a  firm  resolve,  from 
which  she  never  wavered.  She  persuaded  her  mother 
to  go  and  lie  down,  and  completed  the  preparations  for 
dinner  herself.  When  the  meal  was  over,  she  cleared 
everything  up  nicely,  and  telling  her  little  sister  to  be 
sure  and  stay  with  her  mother  till  she  came  back,  put 


THE    YOUNG   INVINCIBLES.  119 

on  her  hat  and  shawl,  and  ran  away  in  the  direction 
of  the  school-house. 

In  the  course  of  twenty  minutes  Lizzie  entered 
her  mother's  room  with  all  her  school-books  in  her 
arms. 

"  Why,  Lizzie,  what  have  you  brought  all  your 
books  home  for?"  exclaimed  Mrs.  Swift. 

"  O,  I  have  graduated,  dear  mother,"  replied  the 
child,  with  one  of  her  sweet  smiles. 

"  That  can't  be,  my  daughter  ;  what  do  you  mean?" 

"  Well,  mother  dear,  I'm  not  going  to  school  any 
more,  and  you're  not  going  to  do  any  more  work.  I 
can  and  shall  do  everything  myself,  with  some  instruc- 
tions from  you  —  and  I  don't  mean  to  trouble  you  much 
even  for  them.  Now,  don't  make  one  word  of  objec- 
tion, dearest,"  protested  Lizzie,  Avith  a  kiss,  seeing 
that  her  mother  shook  her  head,  "  for  I've  formed  a 
solemn  resolution  to  do  everything  about  house,  except 
washing  the  clothes,  and  to  do  it  as  well  as  I  can,  and 
to  take  good  care  of  you,  too,  kindest  of  mothers.  I 
am  well  and  willing,  and  shall  try  to  be  your  nice 
little  housekeeper  and  nurse." 

Mrs.  Swift  clasped  her  precious  young  daughter  in 
her  feeble  arms,  and  burst  into  tears ;  but  they  were 
the  tears  of  thankfulness. 

"  Heaven  be  praised,"  she  fervently  uttered,  "  for 


120  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 

such  a  daughter  —  such  a  '  nice  little  housekeeper  and 
nurse ' ! " 

How  well  the  young  girl  sustained  her  position  of 
housekeeper  and  nurse,  —  her  father  having  sickened 
and  died  during  the  time,  —  the  reader  can  in  some 
degree  judge  from  the  preceding  conversation  between 
Colonel  White  and  Lucy. 

The  circumstance  which  first  brought  the  Swift 
family  under  the  special  notice  of  Colonel  White  was 
somewhat  peculiar.  Shortly  after  George  Herrick 
entered  into  his  arrangement  with  the  old  gentleman, 
Mr.  Swift  was  employed  one  day  to  repair  the  cellar 
floor  under  the  colonel's  house,  and  George  assisted 
him.  The  job  was  not  completed  the  first  day,  and 
Mr.  Swift  was  to  come  on  the  morrow  to  finish  it. 
When  they  left  off  work  at  dusk  of  the  first  day, 
George  was  particular  to  shut  and  fasten  upon  the 
inside  the  outside  trap-door  that  closed  the  cellar  steps 
leading  up  into  the  back  yard.  As  they  were  passing 
up  the  stairs  leading  to  the  kitchen,  Mr.  Swift  re- 
marked that  he  had  forgotten  his  saw,  which  he 
wanted  to  use  at  home  in  the  evening,  and  went  back 
into  the  cellar  for  it,  George  remaining  on  the  cellar 
stairs.  They  then  passed  out  together,  and  Mr.  Swift 
went  home. 

About   hah0  past  twelve  o'clock  that  night  George 


THE   YOUNG  INVINCIBLES.  121 

Herrick  awoke  suddenly,  though  he  did  not  know  from 
what  cause ;  but  he  had  an  impression  that  he  had 
heard  some  unusual  sound.  Listening  attentively,  he 
thought  he  heard  footsteps  at  the  back  of  the  house. 
Jumping  from  his  bed,  he  moved  the  curtain  slightly 
at  oue  side  of  the  window  and  looked  out.  The  dis- 
tance from  his  window  to  the  back  part  of  Colonel 
White's  house  was  perhaps  fifty  feet,  and  the  ground 
was  shaded  by  two  large  old  apple  trees.  At  first  he 
saw  nothing  unusual ;  but  presently  a  man  stepped 
carefully  from  behind  the  tree  nearest  the  colonel's 
house,  and  walked  stealthily  towards  the  outside  en- 
trance to  the  cellar.  "When  he.  reached  that  point  he 
stood  for  a  moment  as  if  listening,  and  then  stooped 
and  took  hold  of  the  trap-door.  George  concluded 
at  once  that  he  was  a  burglar,  and  said  to  him- 
self,— 

"  Mr.  Rogue,  you'll  be  disappointed  there,  for  I 
fastened  that  door  on  the  inside  myself  the  last  thing 
before  leaving  the  cellar."  Judge  of  his  surprise, 
then,  when  he  saw  the  man  raise  the  trap-door  and 
lean  it  back  against  its  support.  George  had  already 
commenced  slipping  on  some  of  his  clothes,  and  a 
moment  after,  as  the  man  descended  the  steps,  he 
cautiously  opened  the  back  door,  ran  lightly  across  the 
space  of  ground,  carefully  closed  the  trap-door,  and 


122  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 

hooked  it  on  the  outside,  saying  to  himself,  "  My  fine 
fellow,  I  guess  you're  in  a  trap." 

George  then  passed  carefully  round  the  corner  of 
the  house  to  a  private  door,  of  which  he  had  a  key 
given  him  by  the  colonel,  as  he  was  a  very  early  riser, 
and  often  wanted  the  key  to  the  barn,  wood-house,  or 
tool-house  before  the  folks  were  up  in  the  morning. 
He  went  with  caution  to  the  old  gentleman's  sleeping- 
room,  partially  opened  the  door,  and  spoke  his  name  in 
a  low  tone,  knowing  that  he  was  easy  to  wake. 

"Is  that  you,  George?"  asked  the  colonel,  rising 
on  his  elbow. 

"  Yes,  sir ;  hush  !  there's  some  one  in  your  cellar. 
He  entered  at  the  outside  cellar  door,  and  I  have  shut 
and  fastened  it  after  him.  He  can't  get  out.  Let  us 
hurry  down  cellar,  and  see  what  he's  doing." 

Colonel  White  got  out  of  bed  very  carefully,  lighted 
a  lamp,  slipped  on  his  pantaloons,  dressing-gown,  and 
slippers,  and  took  down  his  scabbard,  which  hung 
over  the  head  of  his  bed,  and  drew  his  trusty  old 
sword.  Mrs.  White  slept  very  soundly,  and  knew 
nothing  of  what  was  going  on.  George  took  the 
lamp,  and  the  two  proceeded  silently  to  the  cellar. 
There  were  three  divisions  in  the  cellar.  When  they 
reached  the  foot  of  the  stairs,  they  looked  all 
around ;  but  everything  was  right.  George  then 


THE    YOUNG  INVINCIBLES.  123 

carefully  opened  the  door  leading  to  the  middle  cellar, 
and  there  stood  a  man  at  the  pork  barrel,  holding  a 
small  lantern,  with  a  large-sized  market-basket  at  his 
side,  containing  a  peck  or  more  of  potatoes,  and  into 
which  he  was  just  placing  a  large  strip  of  salt  pork. 
George  whispered  to  Colonel  "White,  — 

"  It's  Mr.  Swift." 

"  Is  it  possible?"  and  the  old  gentleman  seemed  for 
the  instant  to  be  utterly  confounded. 

After  a  moment  or  two,  however,  he  made  up  his 
mind  as  to  the  course  he  should  pursue,  and  walked 
straight  towards  the  intruder,  who  now,  for  the  first 
time,  saw  that  he  was  detected ;  but  he  made  no  at- 
tempt at  escape  or  resistance.  He  stood  in  silence, 
with  downcast  eyes. 

"  Neighbor  Swift,"  began  the  colonel,  "  why  didn't 
you  tell  me  last  evening  that  you  needed  these  arti- 
cles? You  could  have  taken  them  home  with  you 
then,  and  saved  yourself  the  trouble  of  coming  after 
them  at  this  hour." 

There  was  nothing  in  Colonel  White's  tone  that 
sounded  like  reprimand  or  sarcasm.  His  words  were 
those  of  genuine  kindness ;  but  Mr.  Swift  still  re- 
mained silent,  and  the  colonel  continued :  — 

"  I  am  satisfied,  neighbor,  that  there  was  pressing 
need  in  your  family,  or  you  would  not  have  come  in 


124  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 

this  way  for  these  articles.  /  am  partly  at  fault 
myself.  I  knew  you  to  be  a  poor  man,  and  3.  should 
have  paid  you  last  evening  for  your  day's  work,  or  at 
least  have  asked  you  if  you  wanted  it ;  but  I  did  not 
once  think  that  your  family  might  need  it  then.  I 
hope  you  will  forgive  me ; "  and  the  kind-hearted  old 
gentleman,  who  lived  Christianity,  extended  his  hand 
to  the  downcast  man  whom  he  had  caught  in  the  act 
of  appropriating  his  property. 

Mr.  Swift  seized  the  extended  hand,  and  burst  into 
tears. 

"  Colonel  White,"  almost  groaned  the  conscience- 
stricken  man,  "  why  didn't  you  run  me  through  with 
your  sword,  as  I  deserve,  instead  of  treating  me  thus 
kindly  ?  It's  true  my  family  are  suffering,  and  I  have 
been  too  proud  to  let  the  fact  be  known.  I  was  too 
proud  last  evening  to  ask  you  for  my  pay,  but  not  too 
proud  to  come  here  to  steal.  Can  you  understand  such 
sinful  weakness  in  human  nature,  Colonel  White  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  can  understand  it,  and  forgive  it,"  was  the 
generous  reply. 

"  Colonel  White,  if  you  forgive  me,  I'll  ask  my 
Maker's  forgiveness  also.  This  is  my  first  offence  of 
the  kind,  and  it  will  be  my  last.  Your  generosity,  my 
kind  friend,  has  saved  me." 

Mr.  Swift  then  went  on  to  state  that  he  had  had 


THE   YOUNG  WPINCIBLES.  125 

work  only  part  of  the  time  for  some  weeks  ;  that  his 
wife  was  sick,  and  there  was  but  little  in  the  house  for 
his  children  to  eat.  He  was  thinking,  during  the  day, 
while  at  work  in  the  cellar,  where  he  saw  the  large 
stores  of  provisions  of  various  kinds,  how  hard  it  was 
that  his  family  should  be  in  need,  while  others  had 
such  abundance.  And  when  evening  came,  and  noth- 
ing was  said  to  him  about  pay,  in  a  moment  of  despair 
he  said  to  himself,  "  I  will  help  myself  here  to-night ; " 
and  when  he  went  back  into  the  cellar  for  his  saw,  he 
had  unfastened  the  trap-door. 

"  Well,"  said  Colonel  White,  "  let  this  be  a  lesson  to 
both  of  us.  Remember  that  it  is  no  disgrace  to  ask 
assistance  of  your  fellow-man,  if  you  have  not  brought 
your  distress  upon  yourself  by  some  wrong-doing ; 
and  never  hesitate  a  moment  to  ask  for  your  just  due 
when  you  need  it.  And  I  shall  never  let  another  poor 
man  that  I  owe  go  home  at  night  without  offering  to 
pay  him.  I  feel  that  I  was  very  negligent  of  my  duty. 
Now,  neighbor  Swift,  take  your  basket  of  potatoes  and 
pork,"  said  the  colonel,  as  he  stepped  into  the  back 
cellar  and  took  down  a  nice  chicken  from  a  hook ; 
"  and  here  is  something  for  your  sick  wife.  Come  to- 
morrow, and  finish  your  job,  and  receive  your  pay. 
This  affair  will  never  be  known  outside  these  cellar 
walls  unless  you  make  it  known  yourself." 


126  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OB 

"  O,  Colonel  White,"  said  the  poor  man,  as  he  took 
up  his  basket,  "  how  can  I  show  my  gratitude  for  this 
undeserved  kindness  ?  " 

"  By  avoiding  anything  of  the  like  nature  again," 
replied  the  old  gentleman,  blandly. 

"Who  but  Colonel  White  would  have  treated  the 
man  in  this  kind  way  ?  "  thought  George  Herrick,  as 
he  went  round  and  opened  the  trap-door. 

Mr.  Swift  departed,  and  the  colonel  and  George  re- 
turned to  their  beds,  nobody  but  themselves  being  the 
wiser  for  their  midnight  adventure. 

The  next  morning  Mr.  Swift  came  and  finished  up 
his  work  in  the  cellar,  and  the  colonel  kept  him  em- 
ployed the  remainder  of  the  day  upon  something  else. 
At  night  he  paid  him,  and  sent  George  with  the  horse 
and  wagon  to  take  him  home,  with  a  goodly  supply  of 
provisions,  and  some  delicacies  for  his  sick  wife  which 
Mrs.  White  had  prepared  through  the  day. 

From  that  day  forward  Colonel  White's  family 
never  lost  sight  of  the  Swifts.  On  his  death-bed  Mr. 
Swift  alluded  to  the  above  affair,  in  conversation  with 
the  colonel,  and  said  that  the  kind  treatment  he  then 
received  had  saved  him  from  despair  and  disgrace,  £nd 
enabled  him  to  work  with  some  heart  until  his  recent 
sickness.  He  had  subdued  his  false  pride ;  he  had 
written,  a  few  days  before  he  was  taken  down  sick,  to 


THE   YOUNG  INVINCIBLES.  127 

his  wife's  brother  in  Chicago,  who  was  a  man  of  prop- 
erty, and  by  return  mail  had  received  a  letter  con- 
taining one  hundred  dollars,  with  a  promise  to  render 
further  assistance  to  the  family.  His  conscience  was 
at  ease ;  he  trusted  in  the  promises  of  the  gospel, 
and  hoped  for  happiness  beyond  the  grave.  And  for 
all  this  he  felt  that  he  was  indebted  to  the  generous 
treatment  and  Christian  advice  he  received  at  that 
singular  midnight  meeting  in  the  cellar. 


128  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

THE  ADVANCEMENT   OP  THE   "  INVINCIBLES." 

S  the  summer  of  1861  was  passing,  with  its 
startling  events  of  victories  and  defeats  in 
various  parts  of  the  country,  the  boys  of 
Harryseekit  were  making  rapid  improvement  in  mili- 
tary knowledge  under  the  friendly  and  judicious 
instruction  of  Colonel  White.  The  exciting  news 
from  the  seat  of  war,  from  week  to  week,  together 
with  the  regular  and  well-timed  suggestions  and  ad- 
monitions of  their  faithful  old  instructor  with  regard 
to  the  importance  of  patriotism  at  home,  served  not 
only  to  inspire  this  company  of  boys  to  aim  at  pro- 
ficiency in  their  military  drill,  but  also  had  a  most 
salutary  effect  in  firmly  establishing  in  their  youthful 
minds  such  a  deep  love  of  country  and  veneration  for 
the  Union  as  would  prove  an  invulnerable  shield 
against  the  corruptive  blight  of  demagoguism  and 
the  more  open  and  sweeping  assaults  of  treason  by 
which  they  might  be  assailed  in  the  future. 


THE    YOUNG   INV1NCIBLES.  129 

Colonel  "White  proceeded  systematically  with  his 
young  company.  After  perfecting  them  in  the  proper 
"  position,"  according  to  the  rules  laid  down  at  their 
first  meeting,  he  instructed  them  in  the  motions  of  the 
head  by  the  commands,  "  Eyes  right ; "  "  Front ; " 
"  Eyes  left ; "  "  Front ; "  "  Rest ; "  "  Attention  ; "  and 
so  on.  Then  came  the  different  "  facings,"  followed 
by  forward  marching,  and  marching  obliquely. 

In  all  these  lessons  the  old  soldier  insisted  on  pre- 
cision, and  no  one  of  the  pupils  ever  demurred  ;  for  all 
felt  an  increasing  interest  in  the  movement.  When 
instructing  them  in  the  different  "wsteps,"  he  would 
often  post  himself  ten  or  twelve  paces  in  their  front, 
facing  them,  and  if  he  could  see  the  sole  of  a  single 
shoe  as  the  foot  was  raised  or  planted,  or  discover  any 
waving  of  the  upper  part  of  the  body,  he  would  tell 
the  pupil  that  it  would  not  do,  and  kindly  explain  the 
cause  and  effect  of  the  inaccuracy. 

As  the  colonel  kept  George  constantly  in  advance  of 
the  rest  of  the  company  in  tactical  information,  he 
received  much  assistance  from  that  intelligent  youth 
in  drilling  the  Invincibles.  The  result  was,  that  by 
the  combined  efforts  of  the  two,  the  young  soldiers 
were  so  far  advanced  in  the  course  of  a  few  weeks, 
that  their  instructor  imparted  to  them  the  gratifying 
information,  at  the  close  of  one  of  their  drills,  that 
9 


130  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 

they  might  now  make  application  to  their  parents  for 
a  plain  blue  uniform,  arms,  and  equipments,  and 
report  progress  on  their  next  drill-day.  And  he  par- 
ticularly impressed  upon  their  minds  his  desire  that  no 
one  would  absent  himself  on  account  of  being  unsuc- 
cessful. 

This  information  was  received  with  rounds  of  ap- 
plause by  the  happy  boys,  nearly  all  of  whom  had 
received  encouragement  from  their  parents  that  their 
hopes  would  be  realized  with  regard  to  a  soldier's 
outfit.  Many  of  the  good  people  of  Harryseek.it,  who 
had  thought  lightly  of  the  project  at  first,  were  now 
willing  to  accede  to  the  wishes  of  their  boys,  seeing 
that  they  took  so  deep  an  interest  in  the  movement, 
and  being  convinced  that  it  was  having  a  good  influ- 
ence in  more  ways  than  one. 

Squire  Belmont  had  no  children ;  but  both  he  and 
his  wife  had  hearts,  and  they  took  pleasure  in  doing 
their  full  share  towards  making  the  children  of  others 
happy.  This  whole-souled  man  had  talked  the  matter 
over  with  Colonel  White,  with  regard  to  the  boys' 
outfit,  and  requested  to  be  informed  of  every  instance 
where  parents  were  unable  or  unwilling  to  furnish 
the  same,  pledging  himself  to  raise  among  his  friends, 
or  make  up  from  his  own  purse,  a  sum  sufficient  to 
accomplish  the  object.  So  the  colonel  knew  upon 


THE    YOUNG   INVINCIBLES.  131 

what  he  was  relying  when  he  hinted  to  the  boys 
that  they  need  not  be  discouraged  if  they  were 
unsuccessful  in  their  appeals  at  home. 

The  next  drill-day  arrived,  and  forty-two  of  the 
members  of  the  Invincibles  reported  that  their  parents 
were  ready  to  furnish  all  that  was  required.  This  left 
only  eight  to  be  provided  for.  Their  instructor  con- 
gratulated the  company  upon  its  great  success,  and 
informed  the  disappointed  few  that  Squire  Belmont 
had  pledged  himself  to  see  that  they  had  their  uni- 
forms and  equipments  with  the  others.  Such  cheers 
as  went  forth  from  fifty  young  throats  when  this 
announcement  was  made,  would  have  done  that  kind 
and  indulgent  gentleman's  heart  good  to  hear. 

Mr.  Cutter,  the  village  tailor,  was  at  once  furnished 
with  a  good  job  in  making  up  the  uniforms,  and, 
having  a  taste  for  patriotism,  as  well  as  for  "  cab- 
bage," he  readily  agreed  to  make  a  deduction  of 
one  dollar  on  each  suit  from  his  first  price,  and 
warranted  that  the  uniforms  should  not  be  made  of 
"  shoddy."  Every  seamstress  in  town  was  employed 
on  the  uniforms,  and  many  ladies  volunteered  their 
services  to  assist,  in  order  to  finish  the  whole  in  the 
shortest  possible  space  of  time. 

A  large  number  of  the  boys,  and  some  of  their 
parents,  proposed  that  they  should  have  short,  light 


132  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OB 

fire-arms  ;  but  that  matter  was  finally  left  with  Colonel 
White  to  settle,  who  decided  that  they  had  better  order 
the  regular  army  musket,  as  the  young  soldiers  would 
be  constantly  growing  stronger,  and  their  guns  would 
seem  lighter  and  lighter,  from  week  to  week,  as  they 
continued  to  practise  with  them.  This,  the  colonel 
argued,  would  be  of  great  importance  to  them  should 
they  be  called  upon  to  take  the  field  at  some  future 
day. 

At  the  second  regular  meeting  after  the  above  mat-« 
ter  was  decided  upon,  the  Young  Invincibles  appeared 
in  their  neat  uniforms,  with  fifty  muskets,  and  all 
necessary  equipments  for  home  drill.  And  now  they 
began  to  feel  that  they  were  soldiers  indeed.  In  fact, 
as  they  stood  in  perfect  line,  on  that  first  occasion, 
with  their  muskets  at  shoulder,  they  did  make  quite  a 
soldierly  appearance.  And  in  justice  to  their  tailor  it 
should  be  said  (we  really  hope  he  did  not  afterwards 
become  an  army  contractor)  that  they  certainly  looked 
as  if  they  might  pass  through  a  north-east  storm,  and 
have  something  besides  their  knapsacks  left  on  their 
backs. 

Colonel  White,  in  his  younger  days,  had  been  con- 
sidered one  of  the  most  finished  swordsmen  in  the 
country ;  and  he  had  recently  taken  much  pains  with 
George  Herrick  in  the  art  of  fencing,  whose  eagle  eye 


TEE    YOUNG  INVINCIBLES.  133 

and  steady  nerves  had  made  him  a  most  apt  scholar ; 
and  his  teacher  soon  pronounced  "him  a  complete 
master  of  the  weapon. 

The  boys  took  additional  interest  when  they  began 
to  drill  with  their  muskets,  and  gave  the  closest  atten- 
tion to  all  instructions.  Consequently  they  made  rapid 
progress,  and  at  the  end  of  a  few  more  weeks  they 
understood  quite  perfectly  the  ordinary  manual  exer- 
cise ;  loading  and  firing  without  cartridges ;  loading 
in  nine  times,  in  four  times,  and  loading  at  will ;  direct 
firing,  and  oblique  firing  to  the  right  and  left ; 
position  of  the  ranks  in  direct  and  oblique  firing ; 
firing  by  file ;  marching,  and  wheeling  to  the  right 
and  left,  and  so  on. 

Colonel  White  was  thus  far  very  much  gratified  with 
the  advancement  of  his  pupils  ;  and  the  company  began 
to  attract  a  good  many  spectators  at  their  drills.  He 
now  advised  them  to  elect  permanent  oflicers,  under 
whose  orders  the  company  should  be,  subject  to  his 
advice  at  all  times,  as  he  would  still  remain  their 
instructor,  and  should  take  pleasure  in  continuing  to 
give  them  all  the  information  that  was  practicable. 
The  colonel  declined  to  make  any  suggestions  as  to 
the  most  suitable  candidates.  He  believed  the  boys 
had  sufficient  intelligence  and  discrimination  to  make 
a  judicious  selection  for  themselves ;  and  they  would 


134  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 

feel  their  own  responsibility  more  by  acting  thus  inde- 
pendently. They  at  once  made  choice  of  the  following 
officers :  — 

Captain,  George  Herrick ;  Lieutenants,  Charles 
Sprague,  James  L.  Sherman ;  Sergeants,  Thomas 
Sprightly,  John  "Wilson,  Aaron  H.  Merrill ;  Corpo- 
rals, William  C.  Hunter,  Walter  Lovejoy,  David  C. 
Crocket,  Robert  Lincoln. 

Horace  Copeland  and  Rufus  Prince,  two  boys  who 
signified  their  wish  to  join  after  the  original  fifty  had 
formed  the  company,  commenced  taking  lessons  in 
drumming  and  fifing,  and  were,  ere  long,  prepared  to 
act  as  musicians. 

When  the  list  of  officers  was  shown  to  Colonel 
White,  he  appeared  to  be  well  pleased,  and  said  he 
thought  a  better  selection  could  not  have  been  made ; 
and  he  had  no  doubt  but  that  the  company  would  now 
improve  more  rapidly  than  ever  before,  as  the  officers 
would  be  likely  to  feel  more  pride  in  its  advancement. 
The  colonel's  opinion  proved  to  be  correct. 

It  was  past  the  middle  of  August,  and,  with  other 
exciting  news  that  was  almost  daily  reaching  the  North 
from  some  of  the  scenes  of  conflict,  came  that  of  the 
hard-fought  battle  of  Wilson's  Creek,  where  the  rebels 
were  defeated,  but  with  the  loss  to  the  Union  cause  of 
the  young  and  brave  General  Lyon. 


THE    YOUNG   INVISIBLES.  135 

When  drill  was  over,  on  the  first  Wednesday  after- 
noon after  the  reception  of  this  news,  the  colonel 
alluded  to  the  battle,  informed  the  boys  that  he  had* 
known  the  young  and  brave  General  Lyon  well  before 
his  promotion,  and  before  the  war  broke  out ;  spoke  of 
his  excellence  both  as  a  man  and  an  officer,  and  of  the 
great  loss  the  country  had  sustained  in  his  death.  He 
then  took  occasion  to  remark  that  certain  and  rapid 
promotion  awaited  scores  of  patriotic  and  deserving 
young  men,  who  should  perform  their  duty  faithfully 
in  this  war,  whether  as  officers  or  privates. 

The  old  gentleman's  remarks  made  a  visible  im- 
pression on  the  young  company,  for  he  was  one  of  the 
few  who  always  know  the  right  words  and  the  right 
time  on  all  occasions.  It  was  a  pleasant  afternoon, 
and  quite  a  number  of  the  neighbors  were  present, 
who  had  been  witnessing  the  drill,  among  whom 
were  some  half  dozen  ladies,  and  as  many  young 
girls  —  companions  of  Lucy  White. 

As  the  colonel  finished  speaking,  Lucy  came  trip- 
ping along  to  him,  and  placed  in  his  hand  a  copy  of 
the  "  Harryseekit  Express,"  published  that  day,  con- 
taining an  account  of  the  affecting  incident  —  connected 
with  the  battle  of  Wilson's  Greek  —  of  the  little  drum- 
mer boy  from  Tennessee,  belonging  to  a  Western 
regiment,  who  was  discovered  on  the  morning  after  the 


136  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 

battle,  by  the  sound  of  his  drum,  which  he  was  beating 
to  call  attention  to  himself,  having  had  both  feet  car- 
ried away  by  a  cannon  ball ;  and  when  found,  a  dead 
rebel  soldier,  who  had  been  fatally  wounded  in  the 
battle,  was  lying  near  him,  who  had  kindly,  in  his  last 
moments,  corded  the  boy's  legs  with  his  own  suspenders, 
in  the  endeavor  to  prevent  him  from  bleeding  to  death. 
In  a  few  remarks  introducing  this  incident,  the 
editor  further  alluded  to  some  original  lines  on  the 
same  subject,  in  the  "  poet's  corner,"  signed  "  T.  ST," 
which  he  said  were  kindly  furnished  by  a  sprightly 
young  member  of  the  Invincibles.  The  colonel  de- 
tected the  authorship  of  the  lines  at  once  by  the 
initials  and  the  editor's  remark,  and  calling  George  — 
(we  ask  his  pardon)  —  Captain  Herrick,  who  was  an 
excellent  reader,  requested  him  to  read,  for  the  edifica- 
tion of  all,  the  affecting  little  narrative.  George  readily 
complied,  and  then  proceeded  to  read  the  versification, 
which  ran  as  follows  :  — 

LITTLE  EDDIE, 

THE  DRUMMER  BOY  OF  THE  FIRST  IOWA  REGIMENT. 

NEAK  Wilson's  Creek,  at  early  dawn, 
Where  blood  had  flowed  most  free, 

The  guard  was  startled  on  his  post 
At  sound  of  reveille. 


THE    YOUXG   INVINCIBLES.  137 

(The  horrors  of  that  hard-fought  field 

"Were  fresh  on  memory's  page, 
And  pondering  o'er  the  bloody  lines 

One  night  had  seemed  an  age.) 

When  on  his  ear  the  sound  first  broke, 

He  thought  the  rebel  drum 
Was  beating  up  the  morning  call, 

Just  o'er  the  creek's  dark  run ; 
But  now,  anon,  from  deep  ravine 

Came  up  both  full  and  clear, — 
"  Rap-tap,  rap-tap,  rap-tap,  tap,  tap !  " 

Familiar  to  his  ear. 

"  Our  drummer  boy,  from  Tennessee, 

Is  in  the  vale  below  ! " 
The  guard  quick  cried  to  comrades  near, 

"  I  hear  his  well-known  blow  ; 
We  missed  him  in  the  thickest  fight ; 

His  name's  among  the  slain ; 
What  joy  'twill  cause  our  regiment 

To  welcome  him  again !  " 

Then  dashing  down  the  steep  hillside, 

O'er  brush  and  fallen  tree, 
The  soldier  stood,  with  brimful  eye, 

Before  dear  Eddie  Lee. 


138  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 

"Good  corporal,"  the  brave  boy  cries, 
"I  hear  the  brook  near  by, 

But  cannot  walk  a  single  step, 
Though  I  am  parched  and  dry." 

The  stream  is  reached  without  delay; 

The  cooling  water  drips, 
As  back  the  soldier  bears  the  draught 

For  Eddie's  fevered  lips. 
The  famished  boy  clasps  quick  the  prize, 

His  raging  thirst  to  slake. 
O  War !  his  friend  beheld  a  sight 

To  cause  one's  heart  to  break ! 

This  youth  of  twelve,  so  good,  so  brave,- 

The  pet  and  pride  of  all,  — 
Had  lost  both  feet  in  carnage  dread, 

By  ruthless  cannon  ball! 
But  not  a  murmur  passed  the  lips 

Of  this  poor  mangled  child, 
Whose  bleeding  form  had  lain  all  night 

Exposed  in  forest  wild. 

"  Good  corporal,"  brave  Eddie  said, 
"  Please  have  the  surgeon  come, 

To  see  if  he  can  cure  my  feet  — 
For  who  will  beat  the  drum? 


THE    YOUNG   INVINCIBLES.  139 

This  man,  near  by,  was  very  kind; 

These  cords  he  gently  tied, 
To  stop  the  blood  from  flowing  fast  — 

Then  sank  to  earth  and  died." 

He  pointed  to  a  plat  of  grass,  — 

"Look!  look!"  —  with  feeble  breath;  — 
For  there  a  mangled  rebel  lay, 

Embraced  by  icy  death. 
A  man  of  noble  soul  was  he: 

While  life  was  ebbing  low, 
To  Eddie's  side  he'd  tottered  on, 

And  checked  the  crimson  flow. 

The  soldier,  fearful  of  surprise, 

And  hearing  horses'  tramp, 
Caught  Eddie  up  in  stalwart  arms, 

And  hastened  towards  camp. 
Too  late !  a  rebel  troop  draw  nigh, 

And  cut  off  all  retreat, 
"  I  yield,"  he  cried ;  "  but  mercy  show 

This  brave  boy  without  feet ! " 

The  captain  of  the  rebel  troop 

Took  Eddie  up  in  front : 
"O  War!"  he  cried;  "a  child  like  this 

To  stand  the  battle's  brunt!" 


140  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 

"My  father  fell  in  Tennessee," 

The  boy  then  faintly  said; 
"  He  loved  the  Union  ;  so  do  I " 

The  drummer  boy  was  dead ! 

"  Tom,"  said  Colonel  "White,  as  George  finished 
reading,  "  I  did  not  believe  you  capable  of  such  depth 
of  feeling.  However  much  these  lines  may  lack  the 
merit  of  true  poetry,  they  do  credit  to  your  heart." 

"  I  suppose  that  is  the  whole  trouble  with  me," 
replied  Tom,  in  his  usual  light  manner.  "  All  my 
better  feelings  lie  so  very  deep,  that  they  are  strangled 
before  they  see  the  light.  Nothing  but  bubbles  reach 
the  surface." 

As  the  Invincibles  proceeded  to  their  respective 
homes  that  evening,  it  was  with  feelings  of  higher 
regard  for  their  usually  frolicsome  young  sergeant 
than  they  ever  before  entertained. 


THE    YOUNG  IXVINCIBLES.  141 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

MASON   AND    SLIDELL. 

S  winter  approached,  Colonel  White  suggested 
to  the  Invincibles  that  it  would  be  advisable 
for  them  to  lay  aside  their  uniforms  until 
spring,  except  on  some  particular  occasions,  as  their 
drill  days  might  often  occur  in  stormy  weather,  which 
would  subject  them  to  an  unnecessary  wear  and  tear, 
and  give  them  a  rusty  appearance. 

He  also  offered  them  the  use  of  a  good,  dry  room 
over  his  carriage-house  for  an  armory,  which  was 
sufficiently  large  for  their  arms  and  equipments, 
though  there  was  not  sufficient  space  for  drilling ; 
but  the  colonel  proposed  to  remedy  this  want  by 
having  them  use  his  large  barn  floor  when  the  weath- 
er was  too  inclement  to  drill  in"  the  open  air.  By  this 
arrangement  the  boys  would  be  relieved  of  the  trouble 
of  carrying  their  muskets  back  and  forth,  and  could 
continue  to  receive  instructions  without  exposure  in 
stormy  weather. 


142  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,   OR 

Fortunately  for  the  young  soldiers,  the  Wednesday 
afternoons  proved  remarkably  pleasant  through  the 
winter,  so  that  it  was  not  found  necessary,  in  a  single 
instance,  to  resort  to  the  barn  for  the  purpose  of  drill. 
Everything  went  on  finely  with  them.  There  was  no 
lack  of  interest  shown  either  by  pupils  or  teacher. 
The  officers  proved  to  be  remarkably  efficient,  and 
could  now  handle  the  company  in  a  very,  creditable 
manner  without  assistance  ;  but  Colonel  White  always 
made  it  a  point  to  be  present,  and  never  failed  to  find 
an  opportunity  to  give  valuable  advice,  both  in  military 
knowledge  and  patriotic  duty.  The  boys  entertained 
a  high  degree  of  respect  and  love  for  their  venerable 
instructor,  without  a  single  exception.  The  great  in- 
terest he  took  in  them,  and  his  uniform  kindness 
towards  them,  rendered  it  almost  a  matter  of  impos- 
sibility that  any  different  feelings  could  abide  in  their 
breasts. 

We  are  not  certain  that  the  Young  Invincibles  did 
not  enjoy  their  winter  drills  even  more  than  they  had 
done  those  of  the  preceding  summer,  for  Colonel 
White  often  invited  them  into  his  house  after  their 
exercises  were  over,  where,  throwing  off  all  military 
restraint,  without  putting  on  rudeness,  they  always  had 
a  good  social  time,  often  made  more  interesting  by  the 
presence  of  Lucy  and  some  few  of  her  school-girl 


THE    YOUNG   INVINCIBLES.  143 

companions.  Sometimes  the  colonel  would  relate  in- 
teresting reminiscences  of  the  war  of  1812 ;  and 
occasionally  Uncle  Bill  Ballast  would  come  in  and 
"  spin  a  yarn  "  for  them,  which  they  always  enjoyed 
exceedingly,  as  the  old  sailor  never  took  offence  at  the 
frequent  interruptions  he  met  with  from  the  young  and 
merry  group. 

It  was  early  in  the  month  of  January,  and  the  boys, 
having  finished  their  drill,  were  assembled  in  Colonel 
White's  large,  old-fashioned  family  keeping-room,  and 
were  discussing  the  case  of  Mason  and  Slidell,  who 
had  just  been  released  from  Fort  Warren,  in  Boston 
Harbor,  on  the  demand  of  the  British  government. 
Uncle  Bill  was  present,  and  took  strong  ground  against 
giving  them  up.  At  the  time  of  their  capture  by  Com- 
mander Wilkes,  the  old  sailor  was  highly  delighted,  as 
he  took  great  pride  in  all  naval  achievements ;  and 
the  spirited  little  affair  by  the  commander  of  the 
San  Jacinto  in  taking  the  two  rebel  ministers  of  state 
from  the  Trent,  one  of  the  British  mail  steamers,  had 
pleased  Uncle  Bill  more  than  any  event  of  the  war  up 
to  that  time.  And  now  the  fact  of  surrendering  them. 
to  the  British  authorities  was  a  dash  of  cold  water  to 
the  old  seaman's  enthusiasm.  However,  after  hearing 
Colonel  White's  arguments  on  the  present  occasion  in 


144  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 

favor  of  the  measure,  he  acknowledged  that  policy 
demanded  it. 

"  The  persistency  of  the  British  government  in 
searching  our  vessels  was  one  of  the  main  causes  of 
the  last  war  with  that  country,  you  know,  Uncle  Bill," 
said  the  colonel ;  "  and  now,  in  demanding  the  sur- 
render of  Mason  and  Slidell,  that  government  virtually 
abandons  the  'right  of  search,'  which  it  has  never 
wholly  given  up  before  ;  and  thus  the  affair  places 
that  country  precisely  where  our  government  desires  it 
should  be  placed." 

"  Yes ;  I  see  that  we  have  got  them  on  the  wind- 
ward tack  there,"  replied  the  old  sailor ;  "  but  I  hate 
to  knuckle  a  grain  to  John  Bull." 

"We  should  never  let  pride  —  not  even  national 
pride  —  stand  in  the  way  of  right  and  justice,"  re- 
joined Colonel  White. 

"  By  the  way,  Tom  Sprightly,"  said  Uncle  Bill, 
turning  to  that  youth,  "  where  is  that  string  of  verses 
you  promised  to  write  for  me  when  the  news  first  came 
about  the  '  Trent '  affair  ?  You  said  you  would  give  me 
something  to  the  point,  —  none  of  your  sentimental 
stuff,  —  something  that  would  have  a  good  jolly  ring 
to  it,  to  suit  the  old  sailor  boys  that  I  meet  when  I  go 
down  to  Capeland." 

"I  know  I  did,  Uncle  Bill,"   replied  Tom;  "and 


THE    YOUNG   INVINCIBLES.  145 

I've  been  waiting  to  see  Low  the  matter  was  coming 
out.  I  don't  think  Wilkes  should  lose  any  of  the 
honor  in  capturing  them  if  our  government  has  thought 
best  to  give  them  up  —  do  you,  Uncle  Bill  ?  " 

"  Not  a  bit  of  it." 

"I  knew  you'd  say  so,  and  I've  immortalized  the 
brave  TVilkes  for  you  in  these  '  railroad  lines ' ;  "  and 
taking  a  sheet  of  paper  from  his  pocket,  he  rattled  off 
the  following  at  locomotive  speed :  — 


MASON  AND   SLIDELL. 

Two  old  men  of  late,  — 
Envoys  fain  would  be, — 

Stealing  from  their  state, 
Ventured  out  to  sea. 

Under  British  flag, 

Thought  themselves  secure; 
And  full  oft  did  brag, — 

"Union  we  abjure." 

One  was  bound  to  France, 
Crying,  Cotton  King, 

Kound  the  throne  to  dance, 
Cutting  "pigeon-wing." 
10 


146  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 

T'other  sought  John  Bull,— 
On  the  double-quick, — 

Cotton-wool  to  pull 
O'er  the  eyes  of  "  Vic." 

Wilkes,  the  brave  and  bold, 
Heard,  by  merest  chance, 

Of  these  rebels  old, 
England-bound,  and  France- 

And,  in  nick  of  time, 
Shot  across  the  bow 

Johnny  Bull's  Mail  Line;' 
Kicking  up  a  row  ;  — 

Taking  the  old  men, 

Secretaries  too, 
Left  the  ship  again, 

Bidding  "Bull"  adieu. 

"Johnny's"  captain  swore, 
Roundly,  he  would  tell 

How  the  Yankee  tore 
Mason  and  Slidell 

From  the  British  flag, 
On  the  great  high  seas. 

Wilkes,  the  funny  wag, 
Answered,  "  If  you  please ! " 


THE    YOUNG  INVINCIBLES.  147 

Now,  these  rebels  bold 

Knew  not  what  to  do ; 
Bound  to  England  Old, 

Soon  reached  England  New. 

O,  how  changed  their  fate ! 

'Stead  of  royal  Court, 
Ministers  of  State 

Shut  up  in  a  fort! 

Johnny  took  his  stand; 

Sent  a  note  to  tell 
Lyons  to  demand 

Mason  and  Slidell. 

Soon  came  cause  to  grieve  — 

Bull  was  in  the  thorns; 
Seward,  on  qui  vive, 

Seized  him  by  the  horns. 

"Do  you  want  these  chaps?  — 

Well,  —  'tis  very  well; 
Take  them,  and  their  'traps,'  — 

Mason  and  Slidell." 

But  said  Johnny,  "  O, 

We  don't  like  this  trade ; 
Thought  you  would  say  No; 

Then  we'd  raise  blockade." 


148  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 

Thank  you,  Johnny,  dear ; 

Oft  there  is  a  slip  — 
When  the  draught  is  near  — 

'Twixt  the  cup  and  lip. 

Do  you  dread  the  "  birch "  ? 

Johnny,  then  repent ; 
For  your  "  Right  of  Search  " 

Vanished  with  the  Trent. 

We've  met  your  demand  — 

"Mason  and  Slidell;" 
Take  them  by  the  hand, 

Cotton  they  will  sell! 

Keep  them,  if  you  choose  — 
Traitors  black  at  heart !  — 

Save  them  from  the  "  noose  ; " 
Play  a  two-faced  part. 

"  Bravo ! "  cried  Uncle  Bill,  as  he  took  the  paper 
from  Tom's  hand,  and  tried  to  make  out  some  of  the 
lines  without  the  aid  of  his  spectacles.  "  Bravo ! 
Tom ;  you've  hit  the  nail  right  square  on  the  head. 
It's  just  what  I  wanted,  for  it's  got  the  true  ring  to  it. 

'  Wilkes,  the  brave  and  bold,' " 

struck  up  the  old  sailor,  in  an  air  of  his  own  manu- 
facture. 


THE    YOUNG   IXV1NCIBLES.  149 

"  Now  for  a  story  from  Uncle  Bill,"  cried  Tom 
Sprightly,  "  or  I'll  never  write  any  more  verses  for 
him  with  the  '  true  ring '  to  them." 

"  Yes,  yes,"  chimed  in  numerous  voices,  "  you  must 
give  us  a  yarn  now,  Uncle  Bill." 

"I'll  tell  you  a  true  story,  boys,"  said  the  old 
sailor.  "  I'm  getting  to  be  too  old  to  spin  yarns." 

"Just  think  of  it!"  cried  Charlie  Sprague  —  "a 
true  story  from  Uncle  Bill ! " 

"  Don't  mind  him,  Uncle  Bill,"  said  Tom  Sprightly, 
with  apparent  indignation.  "  He's  nothing  but  a  stuck- 
up  young  lieutenant.  We  older  men  know  how  to 
appreciate  your  abilities.  Now,  I  believe  all  your  sea 
stories  as  firmly  as  I  do  Robinson  Crusoe." 

"  O,  you're  a  set  of  young  rogues,"  replied  the  old 
tar,  in  perfect  good  nature,  "  and  I  should  serve  you 
right  not  to  tell  you  a  story  at  all.  But  as  this  is  true, 
I  guess  I'll  give  you  the  benefit  of  it." 


150  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 


CHAPTER    XV. 

UNCLE  BILL'S  STORY. 

I  first  gave  up  going  to  sea  (com- 
menced Uncle  Bill),  I  lived  over  to  the 
Point,  and  used  to  work  about  the  shipyard, 
doing  odd  jobs,  and  assisting  in  rigging  the  vessels 
after  they  were  launched.  The  ship-carpenters  owned, 
among  them,  a  good  stanch  boat,  in  which  they  used  to 
make  occasional  trips  (always  leaving  home  at  night) 
down  the  bay  to  Capeland,  rowing  all  the  distance 
when  the  wind  was  not  fair  for  sailing,  where,  on  the 
next  day,  they  would  buy  a  boat-load  of  provisions, 
and  return  again  at  night  —  thus  losing  only  one  day's 
time,  which  the  difference  in  the  prices  of  their  pur- 
chases between  the  two  places  made  up  for,  and  saved 
them  good  many  dollars  besides. 

The  distance,  you  know,  boys,  is  about  sixteen  miles, 
and  the  bay  is  nowhere  more  than  three  miles  wide  ;  so 
the  water  was  generally  very  smooth,  and  when  the 
wind  was  fair  it  was  quite  a  fine  little  sail.  As  they 


THE    TOUNG   INVINCWLES.  151 

always  took  pleasant  weather  for  the  trip,  and  moon- 
light nights  if  they  could  so  arrange  it,  there  was  no 
difficulty  in  keeping  their  course  ;  in  fact,  many  of  the 
men  had  been  back  and  forth  so  often  that  they  thought 
they  could  pilot  the  way  on  the  darkest  night  that  ever 
was.  Occasionally  I  would  take  a  trip  with  them,  and 
they  always  had  a  good  laugh  at  me  because  I  insisted 
upon  taking  my  compass ;  but  I  told  them  the  laugh 
would  be  on  the  other  side  some  time — and  so  it 
proved. 

It  was  in  the  month  of  August,  and  five  of  the 
workmen  —  Johnson,  Eogers,  Pratt,  Stetson,  and 
Smith  —  decided  one  Friday  to  make  one  of  their 
trips  down  to  Capeland.  They  usually  went  in  a 
party  of  five,  divided  into  regular  "  watches,"  one 
man  at  the  helm,  two  at  the  oars  when  it  was  neces- 
sary to  row,  and  two  in  "  the  watch  below,"  as  the 
boat  had  a  good  dry  "  cuddy,"  where  two  could  sleep 
comfortably.  By  this  arrangement  they  all  got  rest 
and  sleep  enough  to  enable  them  to  go  right  to  work  in 
the  yard  the  same  morning  they  arrived  home. 

I  was  at  the  little  wharf  when  the  above-named 
party  was  getting  ready  to  start.  It  was  about  nine 
o'clock  in  the  evening.  The  day  had  been  quite  cool 
for  the  time  of  year,  with  a  fresh  easterly  breeze ; 
but  it  was  then  perfectly  calm ;  and,  although  it  was 


152  PATEIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 

clear  overhead,  with  the  moon  well  along  in  her  first 
quarter,  I  felt  certain,  by  the  feeling  of  the  atmosphere, 
that  fog  was  hanging  about  the  bay.  So  I  said  to 
Johnson, — 

"  If  I'm  not  much  mistaken,  you'll  meet  a  thick 
fog  before  you  get  two  miles  down  the  bay,  and  I 
should  advise  you  to  take  my  compass.  It's  right 
here  in  the  sail-loft,  and  I'll  get  it  for  you  if  you'll 
have  it." 

"  Thank  you,  Uncle  Bill,"  replied  Johnson ;  "  but 
when  I  can't  find  my  way  down  to  Capeland  without  a 
compass,  I'll  stay  at  home,  and  pay  Cheatem  his  own 
prices.  Besides,  old  fellow,  you  couldn't  find  your  way 
to  bed  without  your  compass." 

This,  of  course,  brought  down  a  laugh  from  the 
whole  party  at  my  expense,  while  Smith  said, — 

"  No,  no,  Uncle  Bill,  we  won't  take  your  compass ; 
for  if  the  fog  you  speak  of  comes  along  before  you  get 
up  to  the  house,  you  might  mistake  the  light,  and  run 
into  Cheatem's  by  mistake."  • 

This  allusion  was  to  Cheatem's  bar-room,  kept  at 
that  time  in  the  back  part  of  his  store.  But,  thanks 
to  our  good  friend  here,  Colonel  White,  I  had  given  up 
the  practice  of  taking  my  "grog"  long  before  that 
day.  So  Smith's  shot  fell  short  of  the  mark.  They 
continued  to  laugh  at  me,  and  joke  me  about  my 


THE    YOUNG  INVINCIBLE S.  152 

compass,  however,  till  they  were  ready  to  start,  when 
Rogers  called  out  to  •  me,  — 

"  Now,  Uncle  Bill,  I  advise  you  to  lay  your  course 
carefully  by  the  compass  before  you  start  for  home, ;  for 
we  should  feel  very  sorry  to  hear,  when  we  get  back, 
that  you  got  lost  in  the  fog  to-night  —  whether  the  fog 
is  from  the  Bay  of  Fundy,  or  from  Cheatem's  Bar." 

"Well,  Smith,"  I  replied,  "you  can  joke  me  as 
much  as  you  please  about  my  opinion  ;  but  I  tell  you, 
no  seaman  would  think  of  going  from  here  to  Cape- 
land  without  taking  a  compass  in  his  boat.  Perhaps 
you'll  learn  something  by  experience  before  you  die." 

"  Good  by,  Uncle  Bill,"  said  they  all,  pleasantly,  as 
they  pushed  their  boat  off  from  the  wharf ;  and  Stetson 
added,  "  I  hope  it  won't  be  so  foggy  that  you  can't  find 
your  way  to  bed." 

"  Good  night.  I  hope  it  won't  be  so  foggy  that  you 
can't  find  your  way  to  Capeland,"  I  replied,  as  I  turned 
and  walked  up  the  wharf  tOAvards  home,  more  and 
more  convinced,  as  I  proceeded,  that  there  would  be  a 
heavy  fog  in  the  bay  with  the  flood  tide.  I  reached 
home  in  a  few  minutes,  and  "  turned  in,"  to  dream 
that  Johnson  and  his  companions  got  lost  in  the  fog, 
and  that  I  had  to  take  another  boat,  and  my  compass, 
and  go  and  find  them. 

There  was  not  a  breath  of  wind,  and  of  course  the 


154  PATEIOTISM  AT  HOAfE,    OB 

party  in  the  boat  was  obliged  to  use  the  oars.  The 
"  watches "  for  the  night  were  soon  arranged,  which 
gave  Stetson  and  Pratt  the  first  watch  below  ;  and  they 
at  once  turned  in,  leaving  Johnson  to  stand  the  first 
"trick"  at  the  helm,  with  the  other  two  men  at  the 
oars.  Having  an  abundance  of  time  to  reach  Cape- 
land  by  daybreak,  they  proceeded  very  leisurely  down 
the  bay,  keeping  over  towards  the  opposite  and  western 
shore.  They  had  not  gone  far,  however,  when  John- 
son remarked,  — 

"  Uncle  Bill  was  right  about  the  fog,  after  all.  Just 
see  how  it  is  drifting  in  round  Goose  Rock  !  " 

His  companions  rested  on  their  oars  a  moment,  and 
looked  in  the  direction  named. 

"  Uncle  Bill  is  no  fool  about  the  weather,"  said 
Rogers,  as  the  two  pulled  away  at  their  oars  again ; 
"  but  his  idea  of  sticking  a  compass  under  everybody's 
nose  is  perfect  nonsense.  Say,  Johnson,  think  you  can 
keep  her  headed  towards  Capeland  if  it  is  a  little 

foggy?" 

"  I'd  like  to  see  the  fog  so  thick  for  once  that  I 
couldn't  find  my  way  up  and  down  Harryseekit  Bay," 
replied  the  helmsman,  with  a  contemptuous  laugh. 

"  Uncle  Bill  is  troubled  somewhat  with  compass  '  on 
the  brain,'  I  reckon,"  said  Smith,  as  he  pulled  away  at 
his  oar. 


THE   YOUNG   INVINCIBLES.  155 

In  the  course  of  ten  minutes  more  they  were  com- 
pletely enveloped  in  the  fog,  losing  sight  of  all  the  little 
islands  as  well  as  the  main  shore  ;  but  Johnson  had  no 
misgivings  about  keeping  the  boat  headed  down  the 
bay,  and  his  companions  tugged  away  at  their  oars 
until  two  hours  had  expired,  when  Pratt  and  Stetson 
were  called,  and  took  their  turn  at  rowing,  while 
Rogers  and  Smith  occupied  their  places  in  the 
cuddy. 

"  Well,  Johnson,  Uncle  Bill's  fog  has  really  come 
upon  us,"  said  Pratt,  as  he  and  Stetson  pulled  away 
lustily  at  their  oars. 

"Yes,  Pratt,  the  old  sailor  hit  it  right  about  the 
fog,"  replied  Johnson  ;  "but  I  don't  need  his  compass 
yet." 

"  I'm  glad  you  know  which  way  we  are  going,"  re- 
marked Stetson,  "  for  I  own  up  that  I'm  completely  in 
the  dark.  But  if  I  had  been  awake  all  the  time,  per- 
haps it  would  be  all  right  with  me." 

The  next  two  hours  passed  away,  and  the  party  in 
the  boat  saw  nothing  but  water  and  fog.  By  this  time 
they  should  have  been  near  Capeland;  but  they  had 
seen  no  object  since  they  lost  sight  of  the  little  islands 
by  which  they  could  judge  of  their  whereabouts,  and 
even  Johnson  was  now  obliged  to  own  up  that  he 
didn't  know  anything  about  where  they  were,  but 


156  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 

thought  they  must  be  within  two  or  three  miles  of 
their  destined  port. 

It  was  now  decided  to  have  a  general  consultation  ; 
and  so  Rogers  and  Smith  were  called.  After  talking 
the  matter  over  for  some  time,  they  came  to  the  con- 
clusion that  it  was  useless  to  attempt  to  reach  Capeland 
until  they  could  get  some  landmark ;  and  Johnson 
proposed  that  Smith  should  take  the  helm,  as  he  was 
the  smallest  man  of  the  party,  and  that  the  other  four 
should  row  together  smartly  for  an  hour,  which  would 
probably  bring  them  to  the  land  somewhere,  and  they 
could  find  out  where  they  were,  and  take  a  new  start. 

The  plan  was  adopted,  and  the  four  powerful  men 
tugged  away  at  their  oars  for'  more  than  an  hour  ;  but 
still  they  made  no  land ;  fog  and  water  were  all  that 
they  could  see.  They  were  confident  that  they  had 
not  rowed  out  to  sea  between  the  islands,  for  in  that 
case  there  would  have  been  a  heavy  swell,  which  they 
would  have  noticed  at  once ;  but  instead,  the  water 
continued  perfectly  smooth.  It  was  now  past  two 
o'clock  in  the  morning ;  and  as  the  men  were  well 
tired  out  by  their  last  hour's  hard  rowing,  and  had 
apparently  gained  nothing  by  it,  they  decided  to  lay 
on  their  oars  till  daylight. 

When  day  broke,  they  were  much  gratified  to  dis- 
cover land  near  at  hand,  though  the  fog  was  still  so 


THE   YOUNG  INVINCIBLES.  157 

thick  that  they  could  see  nothing  distinctly.  Seizing 
their  oars,  however,  a  few  hearty  strokes  brought 
them  quickly  to  the  beach,  where  they  pulled  up  their 
boat  and  made  her  fast  —  glad  of  an  opportunity  to 
stretch  their  limbs  on  the  shore  after  their  wearisome 
night  in  the  boat.  As  daylight  increased  a  little, 
Smith  exclaimed,  — 

"Look!  there's  a  shipyard,  with  a  vessel  on  the 
stocks.  I  guess  we're  not  a  great  ways  from  Cape- 
land,  any  how,  for  I  don't  know  of  any  shipyard  till 
we  get  pretty  well  down  the  bay." 

"  That's  a  fact,"  replied  Johnson.  "  Come,  boys, 
let's  find  out  where  we  are  ; "  and  all  five  started  off 
to  obtain  the  desired  information. 

They  entered  the  shipyard  at  one  side  just  as  the 
earliest  workman  was  entering  at  the  other ;  and  as 
their  eyes  rested  upon  him,  they  all  suddenly  stopped, 
and  looked  at  each  other  as  if  greatly  surprised. 
Johnson  first  found  his  tongue,  and  exclaimed, — 

"  How  much  that  man  looks  like  Sam  Lunt !  If 
we  hadn't  left  him  at  home  last  night,  I  could  take  my 
oath  that  that  man  was  Sam." 

"  He  does  look  a  good  deal  like  him,"  said  Rogers  ; 
"  but  I  think  he  is  a  little  taller." 

"/don't  think  he's  any  taller,"  remarked  Stetson; 
"  and  see,  he's  a  little  lame,  just  like  Lunt." 


158  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 

"  He  does  look  something  like  Sam,  I  think,"  said 
Pratt ;  "  but  he's  altogether  too  broad  about  the 
shoulders." 

"And  don't  you  see  that  he's  lame  in  the  wrong 
leg  ? "  added  Smith,  as  the  man  walked  along  towards 
the  vessel. 

"No,  I  don't,"  replied  Johnson.  "The  fact  is, 
Smith,  you're  so  completely  turned  round,  that  you 
don't  know  the  right  side  from  the  left." 

"  Well,"  retorted  Smith,  "  my  Irain  isn't  so  turned 
as  to  mistake  that  man  for  Sam  Lunt,  especially  when 
we  all  know  that  we  left  him  at  Colonel  White's  ship- 
yard last  night." 

"  Of  course  I  didn't  think  it  was  Sam,"  responded 
Johnson  ;  "  I  only  said  it  looked  very  much  like  him  ; 
and  I  say  so  still.  However,  let's  hail  the  chap,  and 
find  out  where  we  are." 

They  all  walked  along  towards  the  workman,  who 
now  noticed  them  for  the  first  time,  and  who,  on  his 
part,  seemed  to  show  some  surprise  at  this  unex- 
pected visit  of  the  boat's  crew. 

"  I  say,  friend,"  inquired  Johnson,  "  can  you  tell  us 
how  far  we  are  from  Capeland  ?  " 

"  Well,"  replied  the  carpenter,  partially  turning  his 
back  upon  the  party  as  he  spoke,  "  I  don't  know  'zactly 
how  far  it  is." 


THE    YOUNG   INVINCIBLES.  159 

"  O,  we're  not  particular  as  to  the  exact  distance," 
replied  Johnson  ;  "  tell  us  about  how  far  it  is." 

"  Well,  it's  a  number  of  miles  by  land,  and  a  good 
deal  furder  by  water,"  responded  the  workman,  as  he 
took  off  his  coat  and  threw  it  upon  a  stick  of  timber, 
preparatory  to  commencing  work. 

"  Confound  the  fellow,  how  stupid  he  is !  "  said 
Smith,  aside  to  his  companions.  Then,  in  a  louder 
tone,  he  continued,  "Well,  friend,  what  place  is  this? 
We  got  lost  in  the  fog  last  night  in  the  bay,  and  don't 
know  where  we  are." 

"  What  place  is  it?  why,  don't  you  see?  — it's  a  ship- 
yard;" and  the  man  took  up  his  broadaxe,  and  ap- 
peared to  be  examining  its  edge  very  carefully. 

"  The  fellow  is  a  fool,  I  really  believe,"  said  Rogers, 
in  a  low  voice ;  "  but  let's  pump  something  out  of 
him  at  all  events.  See  what  you  can  do  with  him, 
Stetson." 

As  they  gathered  up  nearer  to  the  man,  they  did  not 
notice  that  half  a  dozen  more  of  the  workmen  had 
come  into  the  yard,  and  were  standing  in  a  group  just 
behind  them,  listening  to  the  conversation. 

"  My  good  fellow,"  commenced  Stetson,  in  a  suppli- 
cating tone,  "can't "you  tell  us  something  near  how  far 
it  is  from  here  to  Capeland  ?  " 

"  Why,  yes,"  he  replied,  seeming,  all  of  a  sudden, 


160  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 

to  have  become  more  intelligent ;  "  it's  just  about  six- 
teen miles." 

"  Sixteen  miles!"  repeated  Stetson,  in  amazement. 
"  Are  you  sure  it's  so  far  as  that? " 

"  Yes,  I  am  certain  of  it,"  replied  the  man  with 
the  axe. 

"  That's  a  good  joke,"  said  Stetson,  turning  to  his 
companions.  "  "We  must  never  let  Uncle  Bill  hear 
of  this.  We  have  rowed  right  past  Capeland  sixteen 
miles." 

"  It  won't  be  much  of  a  joke,  though,  rowing  back 
against  this  strong  easterly  breeze  that's  springing  up," 
remarked  Pratt. 

"  You  see,  my  friend,"  said  Stetson,  again  address- 
ing the  carpenter,  —  who  had  grown  extremely  red  in 
the  face,  was  shaking  all  over,  and  looked  as  if  he  was 
going  into  a  fit,  —  "  we  started  from  Harryseekit  last 
evening  to  row  down  to  Capeland,  and,  after  row- 
ing all  night,  this  is  the  first  land  we  made,  for 
we  were  completely  lost  in  the  fog.  What  town 
is  this?" 

The  carpenter  now  turned  his  face  fully  upon  his 
visitors,  and  they  all  started  as  if  they  had  seen  a 
ghost.  It  was  Sam  Lunt,  and  no  mistake. 

"In  the  name  of  wonder,"  exclaimed  Johnson, 
"how  came  you  here,  Sam  Lunt?" 


THE    YOUNG   INVINCIBLES.  161 

"  In  the  name  of  wonder,"  replied  Lunt,  "  where 
would  you  expect  to  find  me?" 

"  Why,  where  we  left  you  last  night,  of  course," 
responded  Johnson  —  u  at  Colonel  White's  shipyard." 

"Well,  I  rather  guess  your  brain  is  still  in  the  fog, 
for  this  is  Colonel  White's  shipyard,  where  you  have 
worked  for  the  last  ten  years ! "  shouted  Sam  Lunt, 
bursting  into  a  fit  of  uncontrollable  laughter,  in  which 
he  was  joined  by  the  whole  gang  of  workmen  belong- 
ing to  the  yard,  who  had  assembled  just  in  time  to 
witness  the  winding  up  of  the  joke. 

The  light  now  flashed  upon  the  bewildered  party. 
TJiey  had  rowed  in  a  circle  all  night,  and  landed  just 
where  they  started  from.  They  gave  a  scream  that 
could  have  been  heard  for  a  mile,  and  started  for 
their  boat.  They  didn't  show  their  heads  in  the  ship- 
yard again  till  the  next  Monday  morning.  They 
didn't  hear  the  last  about  getting  lost  in  the  fog  in  a 
hurry,  I  can  tell  you.  But  they  were  all  good-natured 
fellows,  and  never  took  offence  at  being  joked  about  it. 
And  they  never  laughed  at  me  about  my  compass 
again,  and  never  went  to  Capeland  without  it  after 
that  day. 

"  And  now,  boys,"  continued  Uncle  Bill,  "  my  true 
story  is  ended,  and  the  moral  of  the  whole  thing  is, 
11 


162  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 

Never  go  to  sea  without  a  compass  —  and  let  that  com- 
pass be  the  '  Good  Book ' ! " 

The  company  had  been  highly  entertained  by  the  old 
sailor's  story,  and  laughed  most  heartily  at  the  funny 
denouement.  Had  they  been  out  doors,  they  would 
undoubtedly  have  cheered  Uncle  Bill  lustily.  As  it 
was,  they  contented  themselves  by  passing  him  a  vote 
of  thanks,  at  which  he  appeared  to  be  perfectly  well 
satisfied. 


THE    YOUNG   INVINCIBLE S.  1G3 


CHAPTER    XVI. 

THE   FRESHET. 

yXUSUAL  quantities  of  snow  had  fallen  during 
the  winter,  most  of  which  had  continued  on 
the  ground  up  to  the  present  time,  the  early 
part  of  March.  For  a  few  days  past,  however,  the 
weather  had  been  mild,  with  indications  of  rain.  It 
was  Wednesday  afternoon,  drill-day  with  the  Harry- 
seekit  "  Invincibles,"  and,  notwithstanding  the  threaten- 
ing aspect  of  the  weather  and  the  "  slosh  "  under  foot, 
the  members  began  to  assemble  as  the  hour  of  two 
drew  near,  on  their  usual  parade-ground  in  front  of 
Colonel  White's. 

It  was  already  beginning  to  rain,  and  the  colonel 
considered  the  state  of  the  weather  and  the  state  of 
the  parade-ground  sufficient  arguments  for  giving  his 
young  soldiers  temporary  shelter.  Accordingly  he 
proposed  to  them  that  they  should  take  possession  of 
his  large  barn  floor,  which  was  clear  and  clean,  and  of 
ample  dimensions  for  the  required  purpose.  This 


164  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 

proposition  was  readily  assented  to  by  the  boys,  who 
did  not  consider  it  at  all  unsoldierlike  to  retreat  before 
a  north-easter  that  was  being  heavily  reenforced  by 
the  old  Storm-king  himself.  Tom  Sprightly  was  the 
only  one  who  made  any  objection,  declaring,  con- 
temptuously, that  soldiers  who  were  afraid  of 
getting  their  skins  Avet  might  skulk  into  a  barn  like 
a  parcel  of  calves ;  but  they  would  deserve  to  be 
thoroughly  cowhided,  and  to  have  their  names  changed 
to  the  Barn-stable  Invisibles.  Still,  Tom  was  the 
very  first  one  to  reach  cover,  turning  somersets 
the  whole  length,  of  the  barn,  and  making  a  grand 
racket  generally,  in  order,  he  said,  to  ascertain  if 
Colonel  White  kept  sound  sleepers  underneath  the 
floor. 

It  was  now  near  the  time  of  roll-call.  The  boys 
had  not  mustered  so  strongly  as  usual,  on  account  of 
the  bad  walking  —  many  of  them  living  at  a  distance  ; 
and  George  Herrick  had  not  yet  made  his  appearance. 
On  inquiry  being  made  for  him,  it  was  ascertained 
that  he  had  gone  with  the  horse  and  sleigh  to  take 
Lucy  and  some  of  the  neighbors'  girls  up  to  Squire 
Belmont's,  where  the  School-girls'  Soldiers'  Aid  Society 
met  that  afternoon. 

Presently  George  drove  into  the  yard.  The  wind 
had  greatly  increased,  and  the  rain  was  now  falling 


THE    YOUNG   IXVIXCIBLES.  165 

rapidly.  As  he  entered  the  barn,  he  said  to  Colonel 
White,  who  had  that  moment  joined  the  boys,  — 

"  I  shouldn't  wonder  much  if  we  should  have  a 
freshet,  for  when  I  came  back  over  the  bridge.  I 
noticed  that  the  water  was  beginning  to  rise." 

"  I  don't  think  the  thaw  has  continued  long  enough, 
as  yet,  to  cause  any  great  rise  in  the  streams,"  replied 
the  colonel.  "  At  all  events,  not  enough  to  trouble  our 
bridge,  which  has  never  been  considered  in  any  danger 
since  it  was  built.  The  stone  abutments  are  very  firm, 
and  the  whole  structure  is  stronger  every  way  than  the 
old  one  that  was  carried  away  by  the  great  freshet  of 
1840." 

"  Peppermint  and  shoestrings  !  "  exclaimed  Tom 
Sprightly,  pointing  out  of  the  barn  door;  "just  see 
Uncle  Bill !  Something  is  in  the  wind  ;  for  who  ever 
saw  the  old  fellow  move  so  quickly  before  ?  " 

The  eyes  of  all  present  followed  the  direction  of 
Tom's  finger,  and,  sure  enough,  there  was  the  old 
sailor  coming  towards  the  barn  at  a  shambling  gait 
between  a  walk  and  a  run,  but  getting  over  the  ground 
at  an  exceedingly  fast  rate  for  him.  Before  he  reached 
the  party  in  the  barn,  he  cried  out,  — 

"  Colonel  White,  we  must  stand  watch  by  the  bridge 
this  afternoon,  or  it  will  all  go  by  the  board  !  Young 
Joe  Stover  has  just  gone  down  the  Landing  road,  with 


166  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 

his  horse  on  the  clean  jump,  to  tell  'em  down  there  to 
the  Lower  Mills  to  make  everything  taut  and  fast,  for 
there  is  a  break  in  the  dam  at  the  foot  of  Miller's 
Pond,  and  at  the  time  he  left,  the  water  was  pouring 
through  it  at  the  rate  of  ten  knots,  and  they  expected 
the  whole  thing  would  go  by  the  board." 

Miller's  Pond  was  about  four  miles  above  the 
bridge. 

"Attention!  boys!"  cried  the  colonel.  "We  can  / 
have  no  drill  to-day.  You  needn't  take  your  guns 
from  the  armory.  We  shall  get  our  jackets  wet,  after 
all.  If  the  dam  up  to  the  pond  gives  wholly  away,  the 
entire  Interval  will  be  flooded.  The  ice  will  break 
up,  and  the  current  will  bring  it  down  with  such  force 
as  to  endanger  the  bridge.  You  can  render  much 
assistance  if  you  don't  become  too  much  excited,  and 
will  work  with  some  kind  of  system.  Now  I  propose 
to  form  you  into  working  squads,  with  separate  leaders, 
all  to  be  under  the  general  direction  of  some  one  of 
experience.  How  many  are  present?  " 

"  Thirty,"  promptly  replied  the  clerk. 

"  Well,  let  us  see.  —  Uncle  Bill,  you  select  seven  of 
the  boys  to  be  under  your  charge  ;  but  don't  take 
George  Herrick." 

Uncle  Bill  soon  made  his  selection,  which  included 
Tom  Sprightly. 


THE    YOUNG  INVINCIBLES.  167 

"  Now,  I  want  seven  of  the  younger  boys  for  my- 
self," said  Colonel  White. 

They  at  once  stepped  forward. 

"  Now,  George,  you  take  charge  of  seven  more,  and 
the  remaining  eight  may  choose  their  own  leader." 

This  was  quickly  done  ;  and  the  whole  arrangement, 
which  had  occupied  but  a  few  minutes,  being  satisfac- 
torily completed,  the  party  immediately  started  off  to 
the  bridge  to  see  how  matters  looked.  It  was  found 
that  the  ice  had  not  broken  up  at  or  near  that  point, 
but  had  crumbled  away  a  little  in  spots  at  either  shore, 
and  the  water  was  fast  overflowing  the  whole  surface 
of  the  ice  as  far  as  could  be  seen.  And  notwithstand- 
ing the  rain  was  now  beating  down  furiously,  and  the 
wind  was  fiercely  whistling  among  the  stately  elms  in 
the  Interval,  yet,  plainly  above  these  sounds  could  be 
heard  the  roar  of  the  coming  flood  and  the  cracking 
and  crashing  of  the  ice  afar  off  up  the  river,  which 
was  positive  evidence  that  the  break  was  extensive, 
even  if  the  dam  had  not  been  carried  wholly  away, 
and  that  the  entire  body  of  water  in  Miller's  Pond  was 
rushing  down  towards  the  ocean  with  overwhelming 
power. 

Colonel  White  seemed  to  comprehend  all  the  proba- 
bilities and  dangers  of  the  case  at  a  glance.  He  saw 
that  the  current  at  the  bridge  would  not  be  very  swift 


168  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 

until  the  Interval  had  become  wholly  flooded  ;  but  then 
it  would  be  almost  a  torrent,  for  the  structure  was 
thrown  across  the  river  from  hill  to  hill,  and  the  banks 
were  high  and  abrupt  at  each  end  of  the  bridge,  and 
so  continued  for  a  few  rods  up  stream.  The  colonel 
and  his  party  had  been  the  first  to  reach  the  spot ;  but 
the  news  had  spread,  and  now  men  were  fast  assem- 
bling from  all  quarters.  There  were  several  carpen- 
ters among  the  number,  who  were  making  a  good  deal 
of  talk  as  to  what  was  best  to  be  done.  Colonel  White 
stepped  up  on  the  end  of  a  pile  of  timber  and  planks 
that  lay  half  buried  in  the  snow  near  the  end  of  the 
bridge,  —  the  remains  of  lumber  that  had  been  used  in 
making  repairs  the  autumn  before,  —  and  in  a  tone  of 
voice  that  all  could  hear,  said,  — 

"  Neighbors,  if  we  expect  to  save  the  bridge,  AVC 
must  have  a  temporary  breakwater,  or  ice-guard, 
made  at  once  from  this  timber.  It  should  be  a  float- 
ing raft,  in  form  of  a  V,  resting  against  the  piers, 
and  pointing  up  stream. — Uncle  Bill,"  continued  the 
colonel,  turning  to  the  old  seaman,  "  will  you  agree 
to  moor  a  raft  safely  in  that  position?  " 

"  Ay,  ay,  sir,"  was  the  brief,  but  confident,  reply. 

The  idea  was  readily  caught  at  by  the  carpenters, 
and  many  busy  hands  were  at  once  engaged  in  freeing 
the  lumber  from  the  snow,  and  taking  it  up  the  river 


THE    YOUNG   INVINCIBLES.  169 

a  few  rods,  to  a  spot  where  the  ground  sloped  gently  to 
the  water's  edge,  affording  a  suitable  place  for  building 
the  raft,  as  well  as  for  launching  it.  The  Young 
Invincibles  took  hold  with  a  will.  One  of  the  car- 
penters had  his  saw  with  him,  and  another  had  a 
hatchet  and  some  nails  ;  so  the  work  immediately  com- 
menced on  a  small  scale,  while  boys  were  despatched 
in  different  directions  for  more  tools,  nails,  and 
whatever  seemed  most  necessary  for  the  emer- 
gency. Everything  seemed  to  depend  upon  finishing 
the  raft  before  the  heavy  bodies  of  ice  reached  the 
bridge. 

As  soon  as  the  raft  was  decided  upon,  George  Her- 
rick  took  one  of  his  squad,  and  ran  Avith  all  speed  back 
to  Colonel  White's,  tackled  up  the  horse  and  sleigh, 
collected  all  the  axes,  shovels,  picks,  crowbars,  &c., 
and  piled  them  in,  and  then  drove  along  to  Uncle  Bill's 
boat-shop,  knowing  that  he  had  followed  them  home, 
where  they  quickly  gathered  up  a  lot  of  ropes,  blocks, 
and  other  materials  of  the  kind,  of  which  the  old  sailor 
always  kept  a  good  supply  on  hand,  and,  having  placed 
them  in  the  sleigh,  all  three  jumped  in,  and  were  soon 
back  to  the  bridge. 

The  moment  the  sleigh  was  unloaded,  George  said 
to  Colonel  White,  anxiously, — 

"  I  have  this  instant  thought  of  Lucy  and  the  other 


170  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,   OR 

girls  up  at  Squire  Belmont's.  They  ought  to  be  home 
before  the  bridge  is  unsafe." 

"  Well  thought  of,  my  boy,"  replied  the  colonel, 
approvingly.  "  Drive  up  there  as  fast  as  possible,  and 
bring  back  every  girl  that  lives  on  this  side  of  the 
bridge.  I  am  fearful  the  flood  will  be  upon  us  before 
the  raft  is  completed.  I  will  take  charge  of  your  boys 
while  you  are  absent." 

The  work  upon  the  raft  now  went  on  bravely.  The 
Invincibles  all  seemed  to  vie  with  each  other  in  their 
endeavors  to  facilitate  operations.  Their  praise  was  in 
everybody's  mouth.  But  Tom  Sprightly  stood  out 
prominently  before  them  all.  He  had  been  out  in  the 
bay  frequently  with  Uncle  Bill  in  his  boat,  and  had 
spent  many  hours  at  different  times  in  the  old  sailor's 
boat-shop,  and  recollecting  all  that  had  been  told  him 
on  these  occasions,  he  probably  knew  more  about 
ropes  and  rigging  than  any  of  his  companions. 
Uncle  Bill  understood  this ;  and  'as  soon  as  he  had 
taken  his  materials  from  the  sleigh,  he  said,  — 

"  Tom,  I'm  going  to  promote  you.  A  lieutenant 
ain't  nothing.  I  want  you  to  be  my  chief  mate  this 
afternoon." 

"  Thank  you,  Uncle  Bill ;  I  accept  the  office,  and 
will  do  the  best  I  can,"  replied  the  lad,  touching  his 
cap. 


THE    YOUNG  INVINCIBLES.  171 

The  old  sailor  had  no  reason  to  regret  the  appoint- 
ment, for  Tom  not  only  saw  that  all  of  Uncle  Bill's 
orders  were  faithfully  carried  out,  but  he  performed 
prodigies  of  labor  himself.  He  seemed  to  be  every- 
where present,  especially  if  there  was  any  difficult  job 
to  be  done  ;  and  his  unsurpassed  agility  enabled  him  to 
perform  many  things  where  another  might  have  failed. 
With  such  an  efficient  mate,  and  so  active  a  young 
crew,  the  old  sailor  soon  had  all  his  preparations  made 
for  mooring  the  raft  as  soon  as  it  was  completed.  He 
then  said  to  Colonel  White,  — 

"  We  ought  to  have  some  kind  of  communication 
with  the  other  shore,  in  case  the  bridge  does  go." 

"  I  know  it,"  replied  the  colonel ;  "  but  how  can  it 
be  done?" 

"  Give  me  one  of  the  carpenters  for  a  few  minutes, 
and  I'll  soon  do  the  job,  with  the  help  of  my  boys," 
responded  Uncle  Bill. 

The  carpenter  came  at  once,  and  soon  had  two 
strong  posts  driven  through  the  snow  into  the  solid 
earth  that  covered  the  stone  abutment,  about  four  feet 
from  the  commencement  of  the  wooden  part  of  the 
bridge.  These  posts  were  side  by  side,  two  feet  apart. 
Across  the  bridge,  on  the  other  abutment,  two  corre- 
sponding posts  were  set.  While  this  was  being  done, 
Uncle  Bill  and  Tom  measured  the  distance,  and  pre- 


172  PATEIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 

pared  two  strong  ropes,  of  the  proper  length,  and 
stretched  them  across  to  the  tops  of  the  opposite  posts, 
and  made  them  as  taut  as  possible,  about  three  feet 
above  the  bridge.  Then  all  of  Uncle  Bill's  gang  of 
boys  set  nimbly  to  work  tying  short  pieces  of  smaller 
line  across  from  rope  to  rope,  like  the  ratlines  to  a 
ship's  shrouds,  but  long  enough  to  allow  the  double  to 
drop  down  about  two  feet  below  the  main  ropes. 
These  lines  were  placed  about  four  feet  apart.  This 
was  a  work  of  a  very  few  minutes,  as  there  were  many 
sets  of  fingers  to  perform  it.  To  complete  the  job, 
some  pieces  of  thick  boards,  about  ten  feet  in  length 
and  eight  inches  in  width,  were  run  along  flatwise 
through  these  looped  lines  the  whole  extent  of  the 
ropes,  the  ends  of  each  two  pieces  lapping  each  other, 
and  being  firmly  lashed  together  at  these  points,  and 
also  lashed  to  the  lines  in  which  they  were  suspended. 
It  was  a  very  simple  affair,  and  its  construction  occu- 
pied but  a  few  minutes'  time  ;  still,  if  the  framework 
of  the  bridge  should  be  carried  away,  a  person  could 
pass  over  the  chasm  —  about  forty  feet  —  on  these 
suspended  lines  with  comparative  safety.  The  mo- 
ment it  was  completed,  Tom  Sprightly  cried  out, — 
"  Hurrah,  boys  !  Just  see  our  Suspension  Bridge  ! 
I'm  going  to  be  the  first  passenger  over  it.  What's 
the  toll,  Uncle  Bill?"  and  springing  up,  he  seized  a 


THE    YOUNG   INVINCIBLE S.  173 

rope  in  each  hand,  and  ran  the  whole  length  and  back 
again  with  perfect  ease,  thus  showing  the  practical 
working  of  the  experiment. 

The  probability  is,  that  no  horse  ever  passed  over 
the  mile  of  ground  between  the  bridge  and  Squire 
Belmont's  in  so  short  a  space  of  time  as  did  Dancing 
Jim  on  this  occasion.  On  reaching  the  house,  George 
waited  for  no  preliminaries,  but  at  once  entered  the 
room  where  the  girls  were  assembled,  and  said,  — 

"  Young  ladies,  don't  be  alarmed  ;  but  there  is  dan- 
ger of  a  great  freshet,  and  I  want  all  of  you  who  live 
the  other  side  of  the  bridge  to  be  in  my  sleigh  in  just 
two  minutes.  Hurry,  but  don't  be  frightened." 

The  girls  needed  no  further  urging.  They  ran 
quickly  for  their  things,  and  were  soon  jumping  into 
the  sleigh. 

"  Is  the  bridge  in  danger?"  asked  Mrs.  Belmont. 

"  Not  yet,"  replied  George  ;  "  and  men  are  at  work 
to  guard  against  accident.  But  the  freshet  will  be 
very  high." 

"  I  remember  well  when  the  old  bridge  was  carried 
away,  and  I  hope  the  same  fate  will  not  attend  this," 
remarked  the  lady. 

The  girls  were  all  in  the  sleigh,  and  George  was 
ready  to  jump  in,  when  he  turned,  in  surprise,  to  Mrs. 
Belmont,  who  was  standing  in  the  door,  and  asked,  — 


174  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 

"  Where  is  Lucy  White?  " 

"  O,  she  and  Julia  Lovell  went  up  to  Mrs.  Grover's 
before  it  began  to  rain  much,  to  get  some  work  that 
that  lady  had  been  preparing  for  the  girls  to  do  this 
afternoon ;  and  it  has  rained  so  fast  ever  since  that  I 
presume  she  made  them  stop.  Their  folks  need  not 
worry  at  all  about  them,  for  I  know  if  it  don't  stop 
raining  soon,  Mrs.  Grover  will  send  them  down  here 
in  her  sleigh,  and  I  will  keep  them  all  night.  So  you 
need  not  expect  to  see  them  till  the  storm  is  over." 

"  Thank  you,  Mrs.  Belmont,"  replied  George  ;  "  that 
will  make  it  all  right ;  for  I  don't  see  how  I  can  possi- 
bly take  the  time  now  to  go  up  after  them." 

" There's  no  necessity  for  it,"  rejoined  the  lady.  "I 
will  be  responsible  for  their  safety." 

George  sprang  into  the  sleigh,  and  started  his  horse 
at  a  smart  trot  on  his  way  back  to  the  bridge. 


THE    YOUNG  INVINCIBLES.  175 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

A     DANGEROUS    PASSAGE. 

oHEN  George  Herrick  reached  the  bridge 
with  his  freight  of  young  school-girls, 
he  was  amazed  at  the  change  that  had 
taken  place  during  his  absence  of  about  twenty 
minutes.  The  scene  that  now  presented  itself  was 
one  of  wild  and  fearful  grandeur.  The  rain  was  now 
falling  in  a  complete  torrent,  and  the  wind  had  in- 
creased almost  to  a  hurricane.  The  Interval,  which 
less  than  an  hour  since  was  marked  by  two  distinct 
streams,  with  smooth  ice  surfaces,  was  now  one  entire 
sheet  of  agitated  water  and  ice  throughout  its  whole 
length  and  breadth,  or  as  far  as  the  eye  could  penetrate 
through  the  driving  storm,  and  the  water  was  still 
rapidly  rising. 

Cakes  of  ice,  of  various  forms  and  dimensions, 
were  hurled  along  with  fearful  velocity,  —  some  by 
the  force  of  the  current  itself,  and  others  by  the  fierce 
north-east  wind,  —  dashing  and  crashing  against  each 


176  PATRIOTISM:  AT  HOME,  OR 

other,  against  the  trees,  and  against  the  bridge  itself, 
with  fearful  force.  Fortunately,  no  heavy  masses  of 
ice  had  yet  struck  the  piers,  though  several  had  been 
forced  heavily  against  the  abutments ;  but  these  were 
of  solid  masonry,  and  there  was  no  danger  of  their 
starting.  The  current,  which  had  increased  to  a 
mighty  torrent,  was  pouring  through  the  sluice-way 
under  the  bridge  with  the  roar  of  distant  thunder,  and 
being  full  of  small  cakes  of  ice,  which  were  inces- 
santly dashed,,  with  great  foi-ce,  against  the  piers, 
caused  the  whole  framework  of  the  bridge  to  tremble, 
twist,  and  reel,  as  if  in  imitation  of  those  grand  old 
elms  of  the  Interval,  which  had  withstood  the  storms 
and  floods  of  centuries,  but  which  were  now  waving 
and  writhing  in  the  fierce  gale,  and  plunging  their 
lowermost  branches  into  the  foaming  waters  at  their 
base,  which  had  encroached  far  up  their  massive 
trunks,  leaving  them  standing  forth,  in  all  appearance 
to  the  eye,  like  a  forest  in  an  ocean.  It  was  a  scene 
for  the  pencil  rather  than  the  pen. 

George  drove  directly  upon  the  bridge,  with  the 
intention  of  crossing  at  a  quick  trot ;  but,  as  the  horse 
neared  the  wooden  part  of  the  structure,  he  hesitated, 
shook  his  head,  shied,  and  finally  stopped  short.  The 
girls  also  began  to  show  symptoms  of  fear.  The 
approach  of  the  horse  and  sleigh  had  been  noticed  by 


THE    YOUNG   INVINCIBLES.  177 

the  working  party  on  the  other  side,  and  several  of 
their  number,  among  whom  were  Colonel  "White  and 
Tom  Sprightly,  advanced  on  the  opposite  abutment. 
The  colonel  called  out,  — 

"  George,  I  don't  think  there  is  any  danger  of  the 
bridge  at  the  present  moment ;  but  still,  as  the  horse  is 
shy,  and  the  girls  seem  to  be  alarmed,  I  wouldn't  try  to 
cross  with  such  a  sleigh-load.  Back  a  little,  and  let 
the  girls  get  out,  and  Tom  will  show  them  how  to 
cross." 

Tom  Sprightly  sprang  upon  the  suspension  bridge, 
and  taking  a  rope  in  each  hand  as  before,  ran  quickly 
to  the  other  end  of  it,  greatly  to  the  surprise  of  the 
girls,  and  the  approbation  of  George  Herrick,  who 
had  not  before  noticed  the  suspended  structure. 

"Capital!    Whose    idea    is   that?"    asked  George. 

"  Uncle  Bill's,  of  course,"  replied  Tom.  "  Just 
give  the  old  fellow  rope  enough,  and  he'd  rig  a  plan  to 
get  up  to  the  moon.  Come,  girls,  hurry  up  here !  " 
And  he  lifted  one  of  them  into  the  end  of  the  swinging 
bridge.  "  There,"  he  continued,  "  take  a  rope  in  each 
hand,  same  as  I  did,  and  walk  right  ahead.  There 
isn't  a  bit  of  danger." 

As  Uncle  Bill's  suspension  bridge  was  not  more  than 
twelve  inches  above  the  bridge  proper,  and  as  that 
structure  still  held  together,  the  girls  did  not  make 
12 


178  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,   OR 

much  hesitation,  and  in  a  few  minutes  all  had  passed 
over  in  safety. 

"Where  is  Lucy?"  anxiously  inquired  Colonel 
White  and  Tom  Sprightly  in  the  same  breath,  as  the 
last  girl  crossed  the  bridge. 

George  explained,  and  both  were  satisfied,  feeling 
thankful  that  Lucy  had  escaped  exposure  to  the 
drenching  storm,  which  had  rendered  the  situation 
of  the  other  girls  anything  but  enviable. 

George  Herrick  now  jumped  into  the  sleigh  again, 
seized  the  reins  and  whip,  and  said, — 

"  Come,  Dancer,  you  must  go  over  this  bridge 
now  —  you  and  I  are  alone.  Go ! "  and  he  gave 
him  two  smart  cuts  with  the  whip. 

The  horse  knew  the  firmness  of  his  driver  too  well  to 
hesitate,  and  he  was  over  the  bridge  and  half  way  up 
the  hill  before  George  could  stop  him.  But,  as  he 
never  allowed  the  horse  to  have  his  own  way  in  mat- 
ters of  this  kind,  he  turned  him,  and  drove  back  to  the 
end  of  the  bridge  ;  turned  again,  and  made  the  animal 
stand  perfectly  quiet,  while  he  helped  all  the  girls  into 
the  sleigh  again.  Then,  turning  to  Colonel  White,  he 
said,  — 

"  You  are  wet  through  and  through,  sir.  I  think 
you  had  better  drive  home  and  change  your  clothes, 
and  not  come  out  again  —  for  the  present  at  least." 


THE    YOUNG   INVINCIBLES.  179 

"  Thank  you,  George,"  replied  the  colonel ;  "  but  I 
can't  do  it.  I  must  see  this  matter  through." 

"  "Well,  then,"  rejoined  the  lad,  "  please  ask  some 
one  to  drive  the  horse  up  to  the  house,  for  /have  done 
nothing  at  all  yet.  I  must  go  to  work." 

Colonel  White  requested  one  of  the  smaller  boys  to 
jump  into  the  sleigh  and  drive  up  to  his  house,  and 
say  to  Mrs.  White  that  she  had  better  keep  all  the 
girls  there,  except  those  who  lived  very  near,  till  the 
storm  was  over,  or  he  came  home.  The  boy  at  once 
complied,  and  George  Herrick  cast  his  eyes  about  him 
to  see  what  had  been  accomplished,  and  what  remained 
to  be  done.  The  raft  appeared  to  be  about  completed, 
and  was  partially  afloat,  and  contained  a  number  of 
axes,  picks,  crowbars,  and  two  of  Uncle  Bill's  long- 
handled  boathooks.  The  carpenters  were  at  work, 
strengthening  it  in  various  ways,  yet  seemed  to  be 
merely  improving  their  time  while  waiting  for  some 
other  part  of  the  arrangements. 

The  raft  had  been  constructed  after  the  plan  sug- 
gested by  Colonel  White,  the  idea  being  to  moor  it 
about  midway  the  current,  with  some  of  the  most 
powerful  men  upon  it,  close  to  the  piers  of  the  bridge, 
and  as  the  large  masses  of  ice  came  down  against  the 
point  of  it,  which  was  armed  with  a  large  crowbar, 
firmly  secured  so  as  to  allow  it  to  project  ten  or  twelve 


180  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 

inches  beyond  the  woodwork,  the  men  were  to  chop  the 
ice-cakes  sufficiently  small  to  allow  of  their  passing 
through  between  the  piers  of  the  bridge.  Uncle  Bill 
had  all  his  ropes  attached  to  the  raft,  leading  off  in 
different  directions  ;  but  still  it  was  not  pushed  out  into 
the  stream. 

Some  three  or  four  rods  up  stream  from  where  the 
raft  lay  was  a  little  hillock  that  overlooked  the  Interval. 
At  this  point  stood  Uncle  Bill,  Tom  Sprightly,  and  two 
or  three  others,  all  intently  looking  at  some  object  in 
the  water,  at  a  considerable  distance  from  the  shore. 
George  Herrick  ran  up  to  the  old  sailor,  who  stood 
with  one  hand  over  his  eyes,  to  shelter  them  from  the 
driving  storm,  and  said, — 

"  Uncle  Bill,  what  is  the  raft  waiting  for  ?  It  seems 
to  be  about  finished." 

"  It  is  waiting  till  we  see  where  that  big  '  iceberg' 
goes,  my  boy,"  answered  the  old  seaman,  pointing  in 
the  direction  of  two  large  elms,  that  stood  near  together 
directly  at  the  little  bend  in  the  river.  "  If  that  should 
break  loose  and  come  down  in  a  body  in  the  swift  cur- 
rent, it  would  swamp  that  raft  and  all  hands  on  it  in 
a  moment,  and  carry  the  whole  bridge  away  by  the 
board." 

George  looked  in  the  indicated  direction,  and  saw 
that  the  ice  was  piled  up  between  these  two  trees 


THE    YOUNG  INVINCLBLES.  .181 

nearly  to  the  height  and  size  of  a  small  two-story 
house.  The  current  directly  above  this  bend  was  very 
rapid,  and  as  the  larger  cakes  of  ice  came  whirling 
down  through  it,  instead  of  following  the  curve  of  the 
river,  their  momentum  was  such  as  to  cause  the  larger 
number  of  them  to  shoot  straight  ahead  into  the  stiller 
water ;  and  some  of  the  first  having  wedged  fast 
between  these  two  elms,  others,  as  the  water  rose, 
were  thrown  against  and  upon  them,  until  the  accumu- 
lation was  sufficient  to  warrant  Uncle  Bill  in  styling  it 
an  "iceberg." 

The  collection  of  ice  at  this  point,  and  the  fact  that 
many  other  large  masses  had  drifted  before  the  wind 
across  the  Interval  and  lodged  against ,  the  shore, 
probably  had  saved  the  bridge  thus  far.  But  now 
the  huge  mass  of  ice  between  the  two  trees  was 
lifting  and  heaving,  and  surging  violently  from  the 
effects  of  wind  and  water  upon  it,  and  threatening 
every  moment  to  break  away  from  its  tree-bound 
fastening.  Should  it  do  so,  the  wind  would  force  it 
again  into  the  current,  and  the  fate  of  the  bridge 
would  in  all  probability  be  sealed. 

Colonel  White  and  a  few  others  now  joined  the  little 
party  of  observation,  and  the  colonel  said  to  Uncle 
Bill,— 

"  Do  you  think  of  any  thing  that  can  be  done  to 


182  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 

forward  matters  ?  The  bridge  is  wrenching  and  twist- 
ing badly.  Some  of  the  cakes  of  ice  have  wedged  in 
among  the  piers,  holding  the  water,  and  thus  causing 
more  strain.  I  think  the  bridge  is  in  greater  danger 
than  at  any  previous  moment." 

"  I  don't  know  what  we  can  do,"  replied  the  old 
sailor,  almost  despairingly.  "  If  we  only  had  a  boat 
of  any  kind,  we  could  put  off  and  cut  that  iceberg 
all  to  pieces.  If  I  had  ever  expected  to  see  such  a 
respectable  little  bay  of  water  as  this  here,  I  would 
have  had  a  boat  all  ready.  But  who  ever  thought 
that  these  two  little  pipe-stem  brooks  could  cause  so 
much  danger  as  this?  The  fact  is,  colonel,  if  I  was 
only  out  there  on  the  water,  I  should  know  just  what 
to  do  ;  but  the  land  is  a  mean  place  to  navigate." 

"  You  have  done  nobly  to-day,  Uncle  Bill,"  rejoined 
Colonel  White  ;  "  so  do  not  underrate  your  own  abili- 
ties. All  hands  give  you  much  credit." 

"  It's  very  little  that  an  old  sea-dog  like  me  can  do 
on  the  land,"  returned  the  seaman. 

"  George,"  said  the  colonel,  turning  to  that  lad,  who 
stood  in  deep  thought,  still  looking  out  upon  the  flooded 
Interval,  "  I  have  often  profited  by  your  suggestions. 
Have  you  anything  to  offer  now  ?  " 

"  I  have  been  thinking  of  something,  sir.  Uncle 
Bill,"  continued  he,  as  he  turned  towards  the  dejected- 


THE    YOUNG   INVINCIBLES.  183 

looking  old  sailor,  "  you  have  often  told  me  that  when 
you  managed  one  of  the  guns  on  board  of  '  Old  Iron- 
sides,' you  could  plant  a  shot  just  where  you  pleased. 
Do  you  think  you  could  hit  that  pile  of  ice  ?  " 

"Just  as  certain,  my  lad,"  replied  the  seaman, 
brightening  up  a  little,  "  as  you  could  toss  an  apple 
on  to  that  raft." 

"  Then,  boys,"  cried  George  Herrick,  with  anima- 
tion, "  we'll  bring  one  of  the  old  field-pieces  here  from 
the  gun-house,  and  if  that  iceberg  gets  clear  of  the 
trees,  Uncle  Bill  shall  batter  it  all  to  pieces ! " 

"  Good ! "  ejaculated  the  old  sailor ;  and  he  brought 
his  heavy  hand  down  with  such  force  upon  the  lad's 
shoulder  as  to  cause  him  fairly  to  wince. 

"  The  gun-house  !  the  gun-house  !  "  was  now  shouted 
from  all  quarters  ;  and,  as  the  man  who  had  charge  of 
the  building  was  present,  Tom  Sprightly  ran  to  him 
and  obtained  the  key,  which  he  happened  to  have  in 
his  pocket,  and  at  once  led  the  way  to  the  gun-house, 
followed  by  nearly  all  the  boys,  and  a  considerable 
proportion  of  the  men.  The  building  was  situated  on 
the  main  street,  some  little  distance  from  Colonel 
White's,  towards  the  Corner.  Tom  reached  the  house, 
and  had  one  of  the  guns  ready  to  run  out  the  door 
before  anybody  else  arrived.  He  examined  the  limber- 
box,  which  contained  a  dozen  or  more  cartridges  of 


184  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OB 

powder,  and  in  one  corner  of  the  room  he  found  a 
considerable  number  of  balls,  that  were  kept  for  target 
practice ;  and  from  these  he  tossed  as  many  as  he 
thought  would  be  needed  into  the  box  with  the  car- 
tridges. 

By  this  time  liis  companions  began  to  arrive,  and 
they  ran  the  gun  out  and  started  off  towards  the 
bridge.  One  man  had  taken  the  precaution  to  bring 
a  long  rope,  which  they  fastened  to  the  carriage,  so 
that  all  hands  could  pull.  But  the  snow  was  com- 
pletely saturated  with  the  heavy  rain,  and  the  wheels 
sank  deep  into  it,  so  that  it  was  both  hard  and  slow 
work  to  drag  the  gun  along. 

George  Ilerrick  had  anticipated  this  very  trouble, 
and,  though  not  so  swift  in  the  race  as  most  of  his 
companions,  had  prepared  to  obviate  the  difficulty. 
As  the  men  and  boys  were  slowly  floundering  along 
through  the  slosh  with  the  gun,  up  rode  George  on 
Old  Noll.  He  was  speedily  tackled  to  the  carriage, 
and  off  they  now  went  at  a  quick  trot,  and  soon  reached 
the  bridge,  where  they  placed  the  gun  in  position  under 
Uncle  Bill's  direction. 

"  Now,  boys,"  said  the  old  sailor,  all  animation  at 
the  brightening  of  the  prospect,  "just  as  soon  as  I 
get  this  old  handcart  of  a  thing  loaded,  we'll  start  off 
the  raft,  and  then  if  that  lubber  of  an  iceberg  comes 


THE    YOUNG   INVINCIBLES.  185 

down  upon  us,  I'll  blow  him  out  of  water.  I  don't 
think  much  of  this  old  stove-pipe,  any  way,"  he  con- 
tinued, looking  somewhat  contemptuously  at  the  gun, 
"  but  I'll  do  the  best  I  can.  If  I  only  had  one  of 
Old  Ironsides'  'barkers'  here,  I  should  know  just 
exactly  what  I  could  do  ; "  and  Uncle  Bill  went  through 
the  process  of  loading  the  cannon  with  the  expertness 
of  a  practised  gunner,  taking  great  care  that  the 
powder  did  not  become  exposed  to  the  rain. 

"  Are  you  going  to  blaze  away  at  it  where  it  is, 
Uncle  Bill  ?  "  asked  Tom  Sprightly,  who  was  anxious 
to  see  what  effect  a  shot  would  have  upon  the  mass 
of  ice. 

"  No,  no,  mate  ;  as  long  as  the  chap  hangs  there  he 
can't  trouble  us  any ;  but  if  I  should  cut  him  loose, 
he'd  come  sailing  down  here,  and  we  should  have  just 
so  much  more  ice  to  look  after.  If  he  comes  out  of 
his  own  accord,  though,  to  give  us  fight,  then  I'll 
show  him  what  old  Bill  can  do.  I  shouldn't  be  sur- 
prised if  he  was  under  sail  before  ten  minutes.  Tom," 
continued  the  old  seaman,  "  you  just  keep  an  eye  on 
the  lubber,  while  I  see  to  moving  the  raft  out  into  the 
stream." 

In  less  than  five  minutes  Uncle  Bill  had  the  raft 
wholly  afloat,  the  selected  crew  upon  it,  and  every- 
thing in  readiness  to  drop  it  down  into  its  proper 


186  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 

position  by  the  bridge,  which  was  now  twisting  and 
reeling  under  the  force  of  the  current  and  the  rapidly 
accumulating  ice.  At  this  moment,  when  the  men  had 
commenced  slacking  away  the  lines  that  held  the  raft 
to  the  shore,  they  were  startled  by  an  outcry  from 
Tom  Sprightly,  that  seemed  to  be  a  combination  of 
astonishment,  fear,  and  anguish  of  mind.  Everybody 
rushed  to  the  spot  where  Tom  stood,  near  the  gun. 
They  were  not  held  in  ignorance  of  the  boy's  alarm, 
for  their  blood  grew  chill  as  they  looked  out  upon  the 
water  directly  to  windward,  and  there  beheld  a  cake  of 
ice,  apparently  ten  or  twelve  feet  square,  occupied  by 
two  young  girls !  The  larger  one  of  the  two  might 
have  been  about  thirteen  years  of  age,  Avhile  the  other 
was  some  two  or  three  years  younger.  The  former 
stood  firm  and  upright,  using  a  large,  closed  umbrella 
with  one  hand  as  a  brace  against  the  ice,  to  prevent 
being  blown  from  her  slippery  foothold,  while  the 
other  arm  encircled  her  more  timid  companion,  who, 
from  fear  or  cold,  or  perhaps  both,  appeared  to  be 
nearly  helpless. 

Colonel  White  had  a  small  spy-glass  in  his  pocket, 
which  he  at  once  brought  into  requisition  for  the  pur- 
pose of  identifying  the  girls.  He  almost  instantly 
lowered  the  glass,  and  all  color  forsook  his  cheeks  as 
he  turned  to  George  Herrick  and  said,  — 


THE    YOUNG   INVINCIBLES.  187 

"  Those  two  girls  are  our  Lucy,  and  Julia  Lovell." 
"I  know  it,"  replied  George,  who  was  talking  ear- 
nestly with  Tom  Sprightly- ;  "  Tom  and  I  knew  it  from 
the  first.  What  shall  we  do  ?  Tom  declares  he  will 
swim  off  to  them ;  but  I  tell  him  he  could  render  them 
no  assistance,  even  if  he  lived  to  reach  them,  in  this 
ice-cold  water." 

"  No,  no,  Tom ;  that  would  be  of  no  use.  And  as 
the  wind  blows  directly  this  way,  it  would  be  impos- 
sible to  move  the  raft  in  that  direction.  May  Heaven 
protect  them,  for  we  cannot ;  "  and  the  old  gentleman 
seemed  about  to  sink  to  the  ground. 

The  piece  of  ice  on  which  the  two  girls  were  making 
their  perilous  voyage  was  floating  along  in  a  moderate 
current,  that  set  across  that  part  of  the  Interval  from 
the  smaller  and  more  distant  stream.  This  current 
curved  round  towards  the  little  prominence  from  which 
the  anxious  friends  now  gazed,  —  but  yet  a  few  rods 
from  it,  —  and  then  joined  the  main  current  near  the 
bridge.  All  seemed  to  realize  that  unless  Lucy  and 
Julia  were  rescued  before  they  reached  the  swift- 
flowing  water,  their  fate  would  be  sealed.  Uncle  Bill 
seized  a  coil  of  small  rope,  and  advanced  to  the  brink 
of  the  bank,  crying  out,  — 

"  Keep  perfectly  still  —  I  want  to  hail  the  girls." 
"Silence!  all!"  shouted  Colonel  White. 


188  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 

Uncle  Bill's  stentorian  voice  went  forth,  — 

"  Lucy  White,  a-h-o-y  !  " 

"What  is  it,  Uncle  Bill?"  came  back  clear  and 
distinct  before  the  -driving  storm. 

"  Sit  right  down  on  the  ice  with  your  back  to  the 
wind,  open  your  umbrella  for  a  sail,  and  you'll  come 
ashore  safe  !  "  shouted  the  old  sailor. 

The  instantaneous  compliance  with  the  order  showed 
that  Lucy  understood  it ;  and  Uncle  Bill  was  warmly 
praised  by  the  interested  spectators  as  they  saw,  in  a 
few  moments,  that  the  umbrella-sail  was  steadily, 
though  slowly,  moving  the  ice-cake  out  of  the  cur- 
rent and  directly  towards  them. 

While  the  crowd  of  friends  stood  anxiously  watching 
and  silently  praying  for  the  safety  of  the  two  young 
girls,  George  Herrick  and  Tom  Sprightly  were  en- 
gaged in  a  confidential  conversation  apart  from  the 
others. 

"  George,"  said  the  latter,  "  I  fear  that  this  plan  of 
Uncle  Bill's  won't  succeed ;  and  if  it  don't,  I  shall  not 
wait  another  moment,  but  mean  to  swim  off  to  the 
girls  and  carry  a  rope." 

"  It's  a  noble  resolution,  Tom,  and  if  you  were  not 
here  I  should  attempt  it  myself,  now  they  are  some 
nearer  the  shore.  But  there  is  great  danger  from  the 
extreme  coldness  of  the  water,  the  floating  ice,  and  the 


THE    TOUNG   INVINCIBLES,  189 

strong  current.  If  I  could  swim  as  you  can,  Tom, 
you  shouldn't  attempt  it.  But  you  will  succeed,  if 
anybody  can." 

"  I  shall  do  my  best,  any  way,  George,  if  I  have  to 
undertake  it.  If  I  fail,  you'll  have  to  say,  *  Good  by, 
poor  Tom ! '" 

"  You  won't  fail,  Tom  p"  and  George  clashed  his 
whole-souled  young  companion  by  the  hand. 

"  I  hope  not,  George ;  but  if  I  do,  just  tell  aunt 
Huldah  and  uncle  French  that  they  must  try  to  forgive 
me  if  I  have  sometimes  carried  my  jokes  too  far,  for 
I'm  really  thankful  for  all  their  kindness  to  me,  and 
shall  think  of  them  in  my  last  moments." 

"  O,  Tom,  I  hope  there  will  be  no  occasion  to  deliver 
your  sad  message  !  "  exclaimed  George,  still  pressing 
his  young  friend's  hand. 

"  There  is  one  more  message  ;  "  and  Tom  turned  his 
face  away  to  conceal  his  emotion.  "  If  Lucy  White 
is  saved,  and  I  should  perish,  just  tell  her  that  I  will- 
ingly gave  my  life  in  trying  to  save  her" 

"  Tom,  Tom,"  exclaimed  George,  "  I  did  not  know 
before  that  Lucy  was  so  very  dear  to  you !  She  is  one 
of  the  best  of  girls,  and  I  love  her  as  I  would  an  only 
sister." 

"  She  shall  be  saved ! "  cried  Tom,  almost  fran- 
tically. 


190  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 

The  two  boys  now  rejoined  the  old  sailor.  The 
floating  ice-cake  had  neared  the  shore  considerably, 
and  Uncle  Bill  was  just  making  ready  to  throw  the 
rope,  when  a  most  violent  gust  of  wind  took  the 
umbrella  and  fairly  lifted  Lucy  to  her  feet. 

"  Catch  hold  of  me,  Julia,  or  I  shall  blow  away !  " 
she  screamed. 

The  danger  aroused  her  companion,  and  she  clasped 
Lucy  around  the  waist.  The  wind  proved  to  be  too 
much  for  the  umbrella,  however,  for  it  instantly  turned, 
and  the  covering  was  rent  in  all  directions.  Uncle 
Bill  threw  the  line  with  all  his  strength,  but  it  fell 
short  of  its  aim,  and  he  sadly  shook  his  head  as  he 
leisurely  hauled  it  in  again. 


THE    YOUXG  INVINCIBLES.  191 


CHAPTER   XVIH. 

TOM   GOES   TO   THE  RESCUE. 

TCLE  BILL,"   exclaimed  Tom,   as  he   drew 
off  his  heavy  boots,  and  cast  aside  his  coat, 
fasten  the  end  of  that  rope  round  me  in  the 
right  place,  for  I'm  going  to  take  a  swim." 

"  I  can't  say  no,  my  brave  lad,  for  I  should  have 
done  the  same  thing  myself  at  your  age,"  replied  the 
old  seaman,  as  he  knotted  the  line  around  Tom's 
slender  waist,  but  in  such  a  manner  that  it  could  be 
easily  unfastened  when  occasion  required. 

The  determined  yftuth  instantly  sprang  down  the 
steep,  slippery  bank,  and  plunged  into  the  water.  But 
the  whole  shore  was  lined  with  small  pieces  of  floating 
ice,  extending  out  thirty  or  forty  feet,  which  were  not 
large  enough  to  walk  upon,  and  were  too  near  together 
to  permit  one  to  swim  among  them  with  any  speed  or 
safety.  Tom  was  one  of  the  best  o'f  swimmers,  but 
he  floundered  badly  in  the  ice,  without  making  much 
headway,  and  was  about  to  dive  and  endeavor  to  swim 


192  PATRIOTISM   AT  HOME,    OH 

out  beneath  it,  when  George  Herrick,  who  had  antici- 
pated the  difficulty,  came  rushing  down  to  the  water's 
edge,  with  his  squad  of  Invincibles,  bearing  two  long 
boards,  which  they  instantly  ran  out  from  the  shore  on 
the  floating  ice,  thus  making  a  platform  for  Tom,  by 
which  he  quickly  reached  the  open  water,  and  plunged 
boldly  in,  striking  out  manfully  in  the  direction  of  the 
ice-cake,  which  was  now  floating  steadily  away  again 
towards  the  swift  current. 

The  bold  swimmer  still  encountered  difficulties.  The 
water  was  piercing  cold ;  he  was  encumbered  with 
clothing ;  the  weight  of  the  rope  was  no  little  draw- 
back ;  and,  in  addition,  there  were  frequent  pieces  of 
floating  ice,  which  he  had  to  avoid  by  making  little 
circuits  ;  and  these  pieces  of  ice  would  occasionally 
strike  the  line,  giving  him  a  sudden  pull,  and  par- 
tially stopping  his  headway.  But,  as  already  stated, 
Tom- was  a  first-class  swimmer,  and  in  warm  weather 
this  would  have  been  mere  pastime  for  him.  Under 
the  present  circumstances,  however,  his  energies  were 
taxed  to  their  utmost ;  but  his  heart  was  in  the  effort, 
and  he  had  determined  to  do  or  die.  Hence  he  over- 
came all  obstacles ;  and  his  friends  on  shore  sent  up  a 
joyful  shout  as  they  saw  the  brave  youth  reach  the 
object  of  his  destination,  and,  with  Lucy's  helping 
hand,  clamber  upon  the  floating  ice. 


THE    RESCUE.  —  PAGE    192. 


THE    YOUNG  INVINCIBLES.  193 

"0,  Tom  Sprightly,  I  thought  it  was  you !  but 
what  a  risk  you  have  run ! "  exclaimed  Lucy,  still 
holding  his  hand,  as  he  with  difficulty  raised  himself 
upon  his  feet,  wet  and  chilled  as  he  was. 

"  O,  Lucy  White,  I  knew  it  was  you  !  and  what  risk 
wouldn't  I  run?"  replied  Tom,  as  he  gently  disen- 
gaged his  hand  and  quickly  untied  the  rope  from  his 
waist. 

Julia  Lovell  had  become  wholly  discouraged  after 
the  accident  to  the  umbrella,  and  being  completely 
chilled  through,  she  sat  upon  the  ice  in  a  kind  of 
stupor ;  but  Tom  aroused  her  by  calling  out,  — 

"  Here,  Julia,  just  catch  hold  of  the  rope  with  us, 
and  we'll  be  ashore  in  a  very  few  minutes.  Come, 
quick  !  "  and  he  shook  her  gently  by  the  shoulder. 

The  child  started,  and  with  considerable  effort  rose 
to  her  feet.  All  three  then  took  hold  of  the  rope, 
braced  themselves  as  well  as  they  could,  and  "Tom 
cried  out  at  the  top  of  his  voice  to  Uncle  Bill  to 
"  haul  in." 

"No,  no;  that  won't  do — we  can't  tell  how  hard 
to  pull,  and  we  might  haul  you  all  off  the  ice,"  shouted 
the  old  sailor  in  reply.  "  I  have  belayed  the  line,  and 
you  must  all  three  pull  with  might  and  main." 

Tom  realized  the  mistake  he  had  made,  and  at  once 
complied  with  Uncle  Bill's  order ;  but  their  ice-cake 
13 


194  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,   OR 

had  now  entered  the  margin  of  the  large,  rapid  cur- 
rent, and  Tom's  strength,  somewhat  reduced  by  cold 
and  exertion,  with  the  feeble  aid  rendered  by  the  two 
small  girls,  was  not  sufficient  to  overcome  the  force  of 
the  water ;  and  the  watchful  old  seaman  had  to  slack 
away  the  line  continually  to  enable  the  occupants  of 
the  floating  piece  of  ice  to  retain  the  end  of  it,  as  they 
drifted  farther  and  farther  away. 

Tom  well  knew,  if  they  once  passed  into  the  swiftest 
part  of  the  current,  nothing  more  could  be  done ;  but 
there  was  no  projection  upon  any  part  of  their  slippery 
foothold  to  which  the  rope  could  be  made  fast,  and 
there  was  nothing  at  hand  that  could  be  driven  into 
the  ice  as  a  pin.  He  thought  of  the  broken  umbrella, 
which  he  had  seen  lying  on  the  ice  a  few  moments 
before ;  perhaps  he  could  use  the  handle  of  that ;  but 
it  was  now  gone  —  having  either  been  blown  or  pushed 
accidentally  overboard.  Whatever  was  done  must  be 
done  without  a  moment's  delay.  Tom  thought  of  a 
last  resort,  and  shouted  with  all  his  might,  — 

"  Uncle  Bill,  give  me  all  the  slack  you  can  in  a 
moment ! " 

The  line  was  instantly  slacked  all  away,  and  Tom 
rapidly  hauled  in  three  or  four  fathoms  of  it,  stepped 
to  the  edge  of  the  ice-cake  farthest  from  the  shore,  and 
quickly  fastened  the  end  of  the  rope  around  his  hips. 


THE   YOUNG   INVINCIBLE S.  195 

He  then  took  a  position  that  brought  the  rope  directly 
across  the  centre  of  the  cake  of  ice,  and  shouted  to 
Uncle  Bill  to  "  haul  in,  lively ! "  The  moment  the 
line  began  to  tighten,  Tom  dropped  himself  into  the 
water  up  to  his  hips,  with  his  face  towards  the  shore, 
his  arms  and  upper  part  of  the  body  extended  upon 
the  ice-cake,  and  the  lower  portions  underneath  it  — 
thus  forming  a  sufficient  curve  to  give  the  line  a  pur- 
chase over  the  edge  of  the  ice.  He  then  called  out 
again  to  the  old  sailor,  "  Haul  in,  all  the  rope  will 
bear,"  at  the  same  time  instructing  Lucy  and  Julia 
to  stand  as  near  the  opposite  edge  of  the  ice  as  was 
safe,  and  hold  the  rope  down  as  much  as  they  could, 
thus  keeping  it  across  the  centre  of  the  ice,  and  pre- 
venting that  from  turning,  as  well  as  counteracting  in 
a  great  degree  the  lifting  effect  upon  himself,  which 
might  possibly  draw  him  up  on  the  ice,  and  thus  defeat 
the  whole  object,  as  would  also  be  the  case  if  the  ice- 
cake  turned.  But  Uncle  Bill  had  guessed  out  Tom's 
ingenious  expedient,  and  the  line  was  taken  down  on 
the  low  ground  near  the  water's  edge,  thus  diminish- 
ing the  danger  of  either  of  the  contingencies  which  the 
self-sacrificing  youth  wished  to  guard  against. 

Tom's  plan  worked  admirably  ;  and  he  and  his  com- 
panions began  to  feel  their  hopes  revive,  as  they  real- 
ized that  they  were  moving  steadily  towards  the  shore, 


196  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 

propelled  by  many  strong  arms  under  the  impulse 
of  yearning  hearts.  They  had  scarcely  commenced 
moving,  however,  when  Lucy  exclaimed,  — 

"  Look,  Tom,  look  !  "  and  pointed  up  stream. 

The  lad  turned  his  head  in  that  direction,  and  saw, 
not  more  than  fifty  yards  distant,  the  large  mass  of  ice 
that  had  been  lodged  between  the  two  elms  coming 
down  directly  upon  them  in  one  entire  body.  Both 
that  and  the  bridge  had  been  forgotten  by  all  during 
the  last  fifteen  minutes,  in  their  greater  excitement 
and  anxiety  on  account  of  the  perilous  young  voyagers 
on  the  floating  ice.  But  the  new  danger  was  now 
observed  from  the  shore,  and  Uncle  Bill  said  hastily 
to  those  who  were  hauling  on  the  rope,  — 
,  "  Pull  strong,  boys,  but  steady  !  "  and  then  rushed 
to  the  gun,  calling  to  Colonel  White,  George  Herrick, 
and  one  or  two  others,  who  were  not  easily  excited,  to 
follow  him. 

"  Don't  be  frightened,  girls,  they  are  going  to  fire  a 
cannon,"  said  Tom  Sprightly,  speaking  with  a  good 
deal  of  difficulty,  being  greatly  exhausted  from  his 
almost  superhuman  exertions,  and  chilled  through  and 
through  by  the  ice-cold  water.  The  rope  might  be 
severing  him  in  halves  for  all  he  knew,  as  he  was  so 
much  benumbed  that  he  had  ceased  to  feel  it  at  all. 

"  Dear   Tom,"   said   Lucy,   looking  with   pity  and 


THE    YOUNG  INVINCIBLES.  197 

admiration  at  him,  perhaps  unconscious  of  the  endear- 
ing term  she  had  made  use  of,  "  you  will  certainly 
freeze  if  you  remain  thefe  any  longer.  Can't  we  pull 
ourselves  ashore  now  if  you  get  upon  the  ice?" 

"  No,  Lucy  ;  we  must  remain  just  as  we  are  till  we 
reach  the  shore.  I  can  stand  it.  And  if  I  should 
freeze  as  I  am,  the  rope  would  hold  all  the  same ; " 
and  the  poor  fellow  smiled  somewhat  ghastly. 

"  O,  it's  too  bad  !  "  said  Lucy  and  Julia  in  the  same 
breath  —  the  latter  having  revived  a  little  as  the 
prospect  brightened. 

Uncle  Bill,  with  the  assistance  of  his  companions, 
changed  the  position  of  the  gun  slightly,  quickly  sighted 
it,  applied  the  match,  and  the  ball  sped  on  its  swift 
errand.  As  the  smoke  instantly  passed  away  before 
the  fierce  gale,  a  loud  huzza  went  up  from  the  party 
near  the  water's  edge,  as  the  iceberg  rolled  heavily 
from  the  well-directed  shot,  trembled  for  a  single 
moment,  and  then  separated  in  three  pieces  —  the 
smaller  two  rolling  wholly  out  of  the  current,  subse- 
quently floating  away  before  the  wind  to  the  shore, 
while  the  main  mass  continued  on  towards  the 
bridge. 

"  Well  done,  old  land-lubber !  "  exclaimed  the  suc- 
cessful gunner,  patting  the  cannon  as  if  it  had  been 
some  creature  endowed  with  understanding  ;  "  I  guess 


198  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 

one  more  shot  will  settle  that  fellow.  "We'll  learn  him 
to  try  to  run  the  blockade  !  " 

The  old  sailor  instantly  proceeded  to  load  the  gun 
again,  growing  warm  and  excited  under  the  renewal 
of  an  occupation  long  since  laid  aside.  In  the  mean 
time  Tom  Sprightly  and  the  two  girls  were  being 
drawn  steadily,  but  slowly,  towards  the  shore,  for 
Lucy  had  entreated  them,  when  near  enough  to  be 
\eard,  not  to  pull  too  hard,  as  the  rope  was  fast  to 
Tom's  body. 

"  Now,  boys,"  cried  Uncle  Bill,  as  he  aimed  the  gun 
the  second  time,  "  we'll  plump  that  fellow  midships, 
and  see  how  he'll  like  that ; "  and  again  the  old  field- 
piece  belched  forth  its  flame  and  smoke,  planting  the 
ball  precisely  where  the  gunner's  remark  had  indicated  ; 
but  the  ice  was  firmer  than  he  had  supposed  it  to  be, 
and  although  the  mass  reeled  under  the  shock,  and  the 
chips  of  ice  flew  in  all  directions,  still  it  continued  to 
float  on  towards  the  bridge. 

"  That  will  never  do,"  exclaimed  Uncle  Bill,  some- 
what disappointed  at  the  effect  of  the  shot ;  "  but  I 
see  his  weak  point  now,  and  will  give  him  a  settler 
next  time ; "  and  he  prepared  to  load  for  the  third 
shot. 

"  You  must  manage  the  gun  without  the  help  of 
George  and  me  this  time,"  said  Colonel  White,  "  for 


THE    YOUNG  INVINCIBLES.  199 

Tom  and  the  girls  are  close  to  the  shore,  and  we  must 
attend  to  them." 

The  ice-cake  with  its  living  freight  had  nearly 
reached  the  shore,  and  as  George  Herrick  had  taken 
the  precaution  to  have  more  boards  and  planks  placed 
there  immediately  after  Tom's  departure,  they  now 
had  a  very  good  floating  platform  all  the  way  from  the 
open  water  to  the  bank. 

"  O,  my  dear,  dear  child !  "  exclaimed  the  colonel, 
as  he  reached  the  ice-cake,  and  clasped  Lucy  in  his 
arms ;  "  thank  Heaven  that  your  life  is  preserved ! 
At  one  time  I  gave  you  up  as  lost.  But  Tom,  the 
noble  fellow,  has  saved  you !  " 

George  Herrick  had  merely  pressed  Lucy's  hand  for 
an  instant  as  he  passed  her  in  silence,  and  was  already 
lifting  her  preserver  upon  the  ice. 

"  Tom,  can  you  speak?  "  inquired  George,  anxiously, 
as  he  endeavored  to  place  the  poor  fellow  on  his  feet. 

"  Yes,  but  I  cannot  stand,"  he  replied,  faintly ; 
and  George  observed  that  he  remained  in  the  same 
bent  position  that  he  had  occupied  over  the  edge  of 
the  ice. 

"  Never  mind  trying  to  stand,  Tom ;  I  can  carry 
you ; "  and  George  Herrick  caught  him  up  in  his 
strong  arms  as  if  he  had  been  an  infant,  and  bore 
him  towards  the  shore,  followed  by  Colonel  White, 


200  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 

Lucy,  and  Julia,  the  latter,  also,  having  to  be  carried 
by  one  of  the  men,  as  she  was  so  much  chilled  that  she 
could  scarcely  stand. 

At  this  moment  the  old  cannon  spoke  for  the  third 
time,  and  a  shout  of  triumph  mingled  with  the  storm, 
as  a  large  shelving  piece  of  the  iceberg  was  cut  entirely 
off,  thus  destroying  the  equilibrium  of  the  remainder, 
which  rolled  wholly  over,  launching  cake  after  cake  of 
ice  from  their  respective  positions,  until  apparently  no 
two  remained  connected. 

George  Herrick,  with  his  usual  foresight,  had  sent 
one  of  the  boys  for  the  horse  and  sleigh,  which  now 
stood  waiting  at  the  end  of  the  bridge.  Lucy  and 
Julia  were  speedily  placed  in  the  sleigh,  and  snugly 
wrapped  up  in  a  buffalo  robe.  Tom  soon  followed, 
brought  along  by  George  and  one  of  the  carpenters. 
Then  the  colonel  and  George  both  jumped  into  the 
sleigh,  and  in  less  than  five  minutes  the  girls  and  their 
preserver  were  in  Colonel  White's  house,  undergoing  a 
change  of  garments,  and  partaking  of  stimulating 
beverage.  All  were  soon  in  a  comfortable  condition. 
Even  Tom  Sprightly  began  to  move  about  the  room, 
although  he  could  not  yet  stand  up  straight. 

As  soon  as  George  Herrick  saw  that  both  his  friend 
Tom  and  the  girls  were  free  from  any  immediate 
danger,  he  hastened  back  to  the  bridge,  having,  by 


THE    TOUNG  INVINCIBLES.  201 

much  earnest  persuasion,  induced  Colonel  White  to 
remain  at  home.  He  found  that  immediately  after 
Uncle  Bill  had  fired  his  last  gun,  he  had  ordered  the 
raft  into  position,  and  that  the  men,  in  a  very  few 
minutes,  had  succeeded  in  clearing  away  the  ice  that 
had  lodged  against  the  piers  of  the  bridge,  thus  greatly 
lessening  the  pressure  of  water  upon  it,  and  were,  at 
the  time  he  arrived,  manfully  battling  the  large  cakes 
of  ice  as  they  came  down  against  their  raft  —  cutting 
them  in  pieces,  and  guiding  them  through  among  the 
piers  with  their  long  boathooks. 

The  rain  had  now  nearly  ceased,  the  wind  had  lulled 
considerably,  the  large  masses  of  floating  ice  were 
less  frequent,  and  the  rapidity  of  the  current  had 
evidently  somewhat  abated.  Presently  Uncle  Bill 
shouted,  — 

"  Hurrah,  boys !  our  work  is  almost  done.  The 
water  is  beginning  to  fall,  and  the  bridge  is  safe  !  " 

Three  cheers  were  instantly  given  by  the  whole 
crowd. 

It  was  observable,  by  looking  at  the  abutments  of 
the  bridge,  that  the  water  had  receded  three  inches. 
Miller's  Pond,  evidently,  had  been  drained ;  and  as  the 
rain  had  ceased,  the  water  from  the  melting  snow 
would  do  no  damage.  The  raft  was  drawn  back  to 
the  shore,  and,  as  the  sun  went  down  that  evening, 


202  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,   OB 

those  wet,  tired,  and  hungry  men  and  boys  of  Harry- 
seekit  —  who,  during  four  long  hours,  had  so  bravely 
struggled  against  that  sweeping  flood,  subjected  all  the 
while  to  a  merciless  north-easter  —  gathered  up  their 
implements,  and  marched  in  a  body  up  to  Colonel 
White's,  leaving  the  old  field-piece  that  had  done  such 
good  execution  to  keep  silent  guard  over  the  still 
flooded  Interval. 

They  halted  in  front  of  the  colonel's  house  for  the 
purpose  of  informing  him  of  the  fall  of  the  water  and 
the  safety  of  the  bridge,  as  well  as  to  inquire  after 
Tom  Sprightly  and  the  two  girls  whom  he  had  so 
nobly  rescued  at  the  risk  of  his  own  life.  They  were 
also  interested  to  learn  —  as  the  reader  may  be  —  how 
Lucy  and  Julia  came  to  be  placed  in  their  perilous 
condition  on  the  floating  ice.  Colonel  White  had  the 
happiness  of  informing  them  that  both  Tom  and  the 
girls  were  improving  fast.  He  also,  in  a  few  words, 
explained  the  mystery  of  the  sudden  appearance  of 
Lucy  and  Julia  on  the  floating  ice. 

On  their  way  from  Squire  Belmont's  to  Mrs. 
Grover's,  the  girls  had  been  met  by  young  Stover 
with  the  news  of  the  expected  freshet.  He  alarmed 
them  by  saying  that  the  bridge  would  probably  be 
carried  away  before  they  could  get  back  to  it,  and  that 
they  had  better  go  right  down  the  lane  close  by,  where 


THE    YOUNG   INFINCIBLES.  203 

he  had  just  crossed  the  rivers  on  the  ice,  and  cross 
over  as  quick  as  possible,  and  go  up  into  the  road  the 
other  side,  and  go  home  that  way,  and  he  would  tell 
Mrs-.  Belmont,  as  he  passed  the  house,  that  they  had 
gone  home.  The  girls  ran  down  the  lane  with  all 
haste  ;  but  the  young  man  was  so  anxious  to  reach  the 
Landing,  that  he  forgot  to  call  at  the  squire's,  and 
consequently  Mrs.  Belmont  supposed  they  were  re- 
maining at  Mrs.  Grover's  on  account  of  the  rain. 

The  girls  crossed  the  first  river  without  any  trouble  ; 
but  when  they  reached  the  farther  side  of  the  second, 
which  at  this  point  was  only  a  few  rods  from  the  first, 
they  found  the  ice  so  much  broken  up  at  the  shore  that 
they  could  not  get  upon  the  land.  They  ran  first  up 
stream  and  then  down  ;  but  the  condition  of  things  was 
the  same.  They  then  ran  back  to  the  spot  where  they 
had  entered  upon  the  ice,  thinking  they  would  get 
ashore,  at  all  events.  They  were  much  alarmed, 
however,  to  find  that  the  ice  had  also  separated  from 
the  shore  there,  and  they  could  not  get  back.  All 
they  could  do  now  was  to  run  down  the  river,  looking 
on  either  side  for  a^lace  where  they  could  reach  the 
shore.  But  there  was  no  such  place  to  be  found.  The 
ice  was  now  heaving  and  cracking  in  every  direction, 
and  before  they  were  aware  of  it  they  had  reached  the 
extremity  of  the  ice,  and  below  them  was  all  open 


204  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OK 

water !  They  turned  to  retreat ;  but  at  that  moment 
the  ice  on  which  they  stood  separated  from  the  main 
body,  and  the  two  little  girls  found  themselves  floating 
slowly  down  stream,  —  where  they  were  finally  discov- 
ered and  rescued  as  already  related. 

The  colonel  finished  his  explanation  concerning  the 
two  girls,  thanked  the  men  and  boys  for  the  good 
service  they  had  performed  that  afternoon,  and  the 
party  was  about  to  leave,  when  Squire  Belmont 
drove  up  to  the  door.  He  had  been  absent  all  day  on 
business  in  the  next  town,  and  knew  nothing  of  the 
freshet  till  he  reached  home.  As  his  wife  had  heard 
nothing  from  Lucy  and  Julia,  he  at  once  drove  up  to 
Mrs.  Graver's,  and  was  considerably  alarmed  on  learn- 
ing that  they  had  not  been  there.  He  then  drove  down 
to  the  bridge  with  all  haste,  and  finding  that  safe,  and 
no  one  there,  he  had  continued  on  to  Colonel  White's 
to  gain  the  desired  information. 

The  colonel  relieved  Squire  Belmont's  anxiety  about 
the  girls,  and  then  gave  him  a  very  concise  account  of 
the  afternoon's  work.  The  squire  complimented  all 
for  the  faithful  manner  in  which  they  had  performed 
their  arduous  duties,  thanked  Uncle  Bill,  in  the  name 
of  the  county,  for  his  good  services,  and  was  particu- 
larly complimentary  to  Tom  Sprightly  for  his  noble 


THE    YOUNG   INVINCIBLES.  205 

deed.  Noticing  that  Tom  could  not  yet  straighten  up, 
he  said  to  him,  jocosely,  — 

"  My  boy,  you  could  hardly  turn  a  somerset  now  — 
could  you  ?  " 

"  I  can  as  soon  as  I  thaw  a  very  little  more,"  replied 
Tom.  "  You  see,  I  got  one  about  half  turned,  and 
froze  —  something  like  the  man's  keg  of  powder,  that 
took  fire,  and  burned  half  up  before  he  could  put 
it  out." 

"  Well,  Tom,"  rejoined  the  squire,  laughing,  "  I 
hope  you'll  get  straightened  out  soon,  and  be  able  to 
come  up  to  my  house." 

"  Thank  you,  Squire  Belmont,"  returned  Tom ; 
"  but  I'm  a  little  afraid  I  should  meet  with  another 
lull  run  affair." 

"  Tom  is  getting  better  fast,"  said  George  Herrick, 
"  for  his  jokes  are  beginning  to  thaw  out." 

The  crowd  now  dispersed,  glad  enough  to  reach 
their  warm  firesides  after  their  exciting  afternoon's 
work. 


206  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 


CHAPTER    XIX. 

THE  HOUSE   OF   MOURNING. 

was  near  the  middle  of  May,  and  all  nature, 
as  if  by  magic,  had  within  a  few  brief  days 
started  into  active,  cheering,  blooming  life  ;  but 
in  the  midst  of  all  this  beauty,  within  the  walls  of  a 
small  house  in  Harryseekit,  an  ever-living  soul  was 
fast  approaching  that  moment  when  the  last  band 
that  bound  it  to  its  earthly  tenement  would  be  sev- 
ered, and  it  would  wing  its  flight  to  its  eternal  home 
in  heaven. 

Mrs.  Swift  had  continued  gradually  to  sink  away, 
until  it  was  evident  to  all,  herself  included,  that  a  few 
days,  at  the  farthest,  must  terminate  her  sufferings. 
One  day,  when  George  Herrick  had  made  his  accus- 
tomed call,  he  thought  he  observed  a  marked  change 
in  the  sick  woman,  and  said  to  the  daughter,  — 

"  Lizzie,  how  would  you  like  to  have  my  mother 
come  and  stop  with  you  a  few  days?" 

"  O,  I  should  be  forever  thankful  for  it,"  replied  the 


THE    YOUNG  INVINCIBLE8.  207 

young  girl,  as  her  eyes  filled  with  tears.  "  I  have  had 
numerous  offers  from  the  kind  neighbors,  within  a  few 
weeks,  to  come  and  stay  with  me ;  but  I  have  not 
thought  it  necessary  to  trouble  them.  Now,  I  suppose 
I  ought  not  to  be  alone,  and  I  should  prefer  your 
mother  to  any  one  else." 

"  I  know  she  will  come  at  once,  although  I  have 
said  nothing  to  her  about  it,"  was  George's  reply. 

In  less  than  an  hour  Mrs.  Herrick  was  assisting  the 
devoted  Lizzie  in  her  angelic  ministrations  at  the  bed- 
side of  the  dying  woman.  The  physician  informed 
Mrs.  Herrick  that  the  patient  could  not  live  the  day 
out.  George  had  so  decided  in  his  own  mind  before 
he  went  for  his  mother,  and  when  she  now  stated  to 
him  the  doctor's  opinion,  and  told  him  she  would  like 
to  have  him  remain  with  her  during  the  day,  unless 
Colonel  White  had  something  of  much  importance  for 
him  to  attend  to,  he  replied  that  he  had  already  decided 
to  do  so,  if  Lizzie  wished  it,  and  had  informed  the 
colonel  to  that  effect. 

Lizzie  entered  the  room  at  the  moment,  and  Mrs. 
Herrick  said  to  her, — 

"  George  tells  me  it  is  his  intention  to  stay  with  us 
to-day,  if  you  would  like  to  have  him  do  so,  Lizzie. 
Colonel  White  not  only  consents,  but  advises  it." 

"  O,   I   thank   him   most   sincerely.      I  have  been 


208  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 

wishing  that  he  would  stay.  I  feel,  and  know,  as  you 
do,  that  this  is  my  dear  mother's  last  day  of  suffering. 
God's  will  be  done,  though  my  heart  break  !  0,  Mrs. 
Herrick,  will  you  break  the  sad  tidings  to  Mary  that 
;another  day  will  see  her  motherless  ?  I  have  given  her 
to  understand,  for  weeks  past,  that  mother  could  not 
live  a  great  while  ;  but  I  presume  she  has  no  idea  how 
very  near  the  time  is  at  hand  ;  and  I  don't  feel  as  if  I 
could  tell  her." 

"  I  will  do  it  as  gently  as  possible,  dear  Lizzie," 
replied  Mrs.  Herrick.  • 

"  O,  my  dear  little  sister ! "  continued  the  grief- 
stricken  girl.  "  I  will  try  to  do  my  duty,  for  her 
sake.  I  will  do  it,  with  Heaven's  help.  No  mother  — 
sad,  sad ! " 

Ah,  yes,  sad  indeed  for  two  young  girls  to  lose 
their  mother  !  And  what  a  responsibility  devolved  on 
Lizzie !  Doubting  her  own  ability  to  walk  in  the 
straight  path,  she  must  point  the  way  and  guide  the 
steps  of  a  much  younger  sister.  But  she  had  early 
learned  to  ask  counsel  of  her  heavenly  Father,  and  she 
would  not  ask  in  vain  in  this  instance.  So  thought 
Mrs.  Herrick  and  George,  as  they  listened  with  admi- 
ration to  the  modest  and  yet  deep  resolve  of  the  grief- 
stricken  orphan  girl.  Let  us  hope  there  is  much  good 
in  store  for  that  faithful  daughter  who  has  given  her 


THE    YOUNQ  INVINCLBLES.  209 

young  life-energies  so  freely,  year  after  year,  to  her 
long-suffering  mother. 

It  was  a  silent  and  solemn  day  in  that  humble 
dwelling,  where  the  death-angel  waited  for  the  dissolu- 
tion which  was  to  give  one  more  body  to  the  dust,  and 
another  soul  to  the  realms  of  eternal  life.  There  had 
been  no  visible  change  in  Mrs.  Swift,  during  the  long 
day,  other  than  a  gradual  sinking  away,  which  indi- 
cated an  easy  death,  probably  without  again  rallying 
from  the  nearly  unconscious  state  in  which 'she  had 
continued  for  many  hours.  However  desirable  this 
might  be  with  regard  to  the  poor  suffering  woman 
herself,  yet  the  two  young  daughters  could  not  but  hope 
that  their  dear  mother  would  speak  their  names  once 
more  before  she  passed  away  forever. 

About  half  an  hour  before  sunset  the  dying  woman 
seemed  wonderfully  to  revive,  and  requested  to  be  par- 
tially bolstered  up  by  the  pillows,  and  to  have  the 
curtain  put  aside  at  the  window  which  looked  towards 
the  west,  by  the  foot  of  her  bed.  "When  these  arrange- 
ments were  completed,  and  her  children,  with  Mrs. 
Herrick  and  George,  stood  by  her  bedside,  she  smiled 
and  said,  — 

"  How  beautiful !  My  sun  is  setting  with  the  glorious 
orb  of  day,  to  rise  again  in  the  morning  amid  splendor 
and  glory  far  exceeding  those  of  the  natural  sun. 
14 


210  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OH 

Death  has  no  terrors  for  the  Christian  soul,  for  Hope 
and  Faith  render  the  passage  of  the  dark  Vale  clear, 
safe,  and  peaceful.  And  now,  my  dear  children, 
grieve  not  uselessly  for  me  when  I  am  gone,  but  live 
true  Christian  lives,  trusting  to  a  happy  reunion  here- 
after. Mary,  my  darling,  receive  a  mother's  parting 
blessing."  And  with  the  assistance  of  Mrs.  Herrick 
she  placed  her  hand  upon  the  head  of  her  little  sobbing 
daughter,  saying, — 

"  My*dear  child,  receive  the  parting  blessing  of  your 
dying  mother,  and  may  the  blessing  of  Heaven  also 
rest  upon  you  forever." 

The  dying  Christian  seemed  to  gain  strength  of 
voice  as  she  pronounced  her  simple  blessing  on  her 
latest  born  ;  and  now,  as  she  fixed  her  loving  eyes 
upon  Lizzie,  the  faithful,  and  reached  to  take  her  hand, 
there  was  a  depth,  and  clearness,  and  richness  in  her 
tones,  as  she  uttered  the  following  words,  that  struck 
the  ears  of  the  solemn  little  group  of  listeners  as 
coming  from  the  already  untrammelled  soul,  rather 
than  from  the  stiffening  lips  of  death :  — 

"  Lizzie,  my  dear,  kind,  self-sacrificing  child,  I  have 
no  earthly  riches  to  bequeath  to  you,  but,  instead,  I 
leave  to  you  a  dying  mother's  undying  gratitude. 
And  to  my  own  blessing,  I  feel  certain,  will  be  added 
that  far  richer  one  of  your  heavenly  Father,  under 


THE    YOUNG  INVINCIBLES.  211 

whose  kind  protection  you  are,  and  will  remain  for- 
ever. Continue  your  implicit  faith  and  trust  in  God, 
and  he  -will  raise  up  friends  for  you  here  on  earth,  and 
finally  receive  you  in  his  own  abode." 

George  Herrick  stood  at  one  side  of  the  weeping 
Lizzie,  and  his  mother  at  the  other,  while  little  Mary 
bowed  her  head  upon  the  bed  in  half-stifled  sobs.  The 
tears  of  the  mother  and  son  mingled  with  those  of  the 
grief-stricken  girls.  Mrs.  Swift  still  retained  the  hand 
of  Lizzie,  whilst  her  eyes  seemed  to  wand*er  from 
her  face  to  that  of  the  youth  at  her  side.  George 
fixed  his  gaze  upon  the  face  of  the  dying  woman, 
heaved  a  long  sigh,  and  then  slowly,  solemnly,  and 
as  gently  as  if  he  were  about  to  extend  his  hand  to 
receive  some  delicate  flower,  whose  beauty  might  be 
shattered  by  the  least  rude  contact,  he  raised  his  right 
arm  and  encircled  the  waist  of  the  young  maiden  at 
his  side.  He  uttered  not  a  word,  but  the  movement 
unmistakably  said,  "  I  will  shield  this  dear  girl 
from  all  harm."  The  dying  woman  observed  the 
tender,  deep-meaning  act,  smiled  approvingly  upon  it, 
uttered  feebly,  but  distinctly,  "  It  is  well,"  and  without 
a  single  struggle,  closed  her  eyes  forever  on  all  earthly 


212  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 


CHAPTER    XX. 

THE   ORPHANS. 

JHREE  weeks  after  the  death  of  Mrs.  Swift, 
Lizzie  sat  in  her  little  work-room  with  an  open 
letter  in  her  hand,  which  she  had  just  finished 
reading  for  the  second  time,  and  seemed  to  be  weighing 
carefully  the  contents  of  the  same  in  her  mind. 

"  He  is  a  dear,  kind  uncle,"  she  said  at  last ;  "  but 
I  cannot  accept  his  generous  offer.  I  cannot  think  of 
leaving  this  dear  old  home  ;  I  cannot  leave  my  mother's 
grave.  I  should  prefer  living  here  by  the  labor  of  my 
own  hands,  to  a  life  of  perfect  ease  anywhere  else ; " 
and  she  placed  the  open  letter  in  the  hands  of  her  kind 
companion,  Mrs.  Herrick,  who  still  remained  with  the 
orphan  girls  while  their  friends — at  the  head  of  whom 
was  Colonel  White  —  were  planning  their  future. 

Mrs.  Herrick  read  the  epistle  attentively,  and  re- 
turned it  to  Lizzie,  remarking, — 

"  It  is  truly  a  letter  of  great  kindness,  and  the  offer 
your  uncle  makes  you  is  most  generous,  and  is  very 


THE    YOUXG  INVIXCIBLES.  213 

creditable  to  his  heart.  You  ought  to  weigh  the  matter 
well,  my  dear  young  friend,  before  you  decide  to 
decline  the  proposition.  You  know  it  embraces  Mary 
as  well  as  yourself." 

.  "  I  know  it  does.  Were  it  not  for  that,  I  could  not 
entertain  the  idea  for  a  moment.  But,  O,  I  do  want 
to  do  that  which  is  for  the  best  for  my  dear  little 
sister  —  best  for  her  in  every  sense  of  the  word." 

"  Well,  Lizzie,  you  know  it  is  not  required  of  you 
to  decide  with  regard  to  the  matter  immediately. 
Your  uncle  very  considerately  says  in  his  letter  that 
you  must  take  ample  time  in  making  up  your  mind, 
and  that  whether  you  decide  to  accept  his  invitation 
extended  to  you  and  Mary  to  m"ake  his  house  your 
future  home,  as  members  of  the  family,  or  remain 
where  you  are,  he  shall  be  perfectly  satisfied,  and  can 
never  lose  sight  of,  or  interest  in,  one  who  has  devoted 
years  of  her  young  life  so  faithfully  to  a  sick  and  long- 
suffering  mother,  and  that  mother  his  own  and  only 
sister.  So,  dear  girl,  you  must  take  further  time  for 
consideration ;  and,  with  the  advice  of  your  friends 
here  in  town,  I  have  no  doubt  you  will  come  to  such 
decision  as  will  be  the  best  for  both  you  and  Mary." 

"  My  dear  uncle  is  extremely  kind  to  leave  me  thus 
free  to  decide,  and  yet  promise  to  continue  to  assist  us. 
I  hope  my  decision  will  be  for  the  best.  But  do  you 


214  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 

know,  Mrs.  Herrick,"  said  Lizzie,  looking  up  with  a 
half-concealed  smile,  "  that  I  am  exceedingly  self- 
willed  f  "Whenever  I  have  to  make  up  my  mind  about 
anything,  no  matter  how  important  it  may  be,  I  am 
very  apt  to  decide  at  once  with  regard  to  it ;  and, 
although  I  am  always  willing  and  anxious  to  listen  to 
the  advice  of  friends  on  the  subject,  yet  I  seldom 
change  my  mind.  And  the  probability  is  now,  with 
regard  to  the  subject  of  this  letter,  that  I  shall  adhere 
to  my  opinion  already  expressed ;  although  I  will 
gratefully  listen  to  the  good  advice  of  friends." 

"  So  you  think  you  are  '  exceedingly  self-willed' — do 
you,  Lizzie?  Perhaps  your  friends  may  have  more 
charity  for  you  than  you  have  for  yourself,  and  apply 
the  term  '  decision  of  character '  to  that  which  you 
call '  self-will.' " 

"  I  fear  that  my  friends  are  often  too  indulgent  for 
my  own  good,  dear  Mrs.  Herrick,  and  perhaps  humor 
me  in  my  opinions  when  they  are  far  from  being 
correct." 

"  No,  no,  my  darling  girl ;  your  friends  are  too 
sincere  to  do  that.  Such  a  course  would  not  tend 
towards  your  true  happiness,  which  they  all  so  much 
desire.  But  with  regard  to  your  uncle's  letter : 
Colonel  White,  you  know,  is  coming  in  this  evening, 
and  as  you  have  chosen  him  your  legal  guardian,  you 


THE    YOUNG  INVINCIBLES.  215 

will,  of  course,  lay  the  whole  matter  before  him,  and 
ask  his  advice.  /  have  no  fears  at  all  about  your 
«  self-will.'  " 

Early  in  the  evening  Colonel  White  called  to  see 
the  orphan  girls,  according  to  appointment.  Lizzie 
gave  him  her  uncle's  letter  to  read,  which  led  to  a 
full  discussion  of  the  whole  subject,  and,  finally,  to  a 
settled  plan  with  regard  to  the  future  of  the  two  young 
girls.  The  colonel  manifested  no  surprise  when  Lizzie 
informed  him  that  her  preference  was  to  remain  in  her 
native  village.  Indeed,  he  had  expected  such  a  decis- 
ion, and  was  well  pleased  with  it.  He  had  opened  a 
correspondence  with  Mr.  Hart,  the  uncle  in  Chicago, 
before  the  death  of  Mrs.  Swift,  and  in  his  last  letter  to 
that  gentleman,  after  her  decease,  he  had  suggested  a 
plan  with  regard  to  the  two  orphan  girls,  in  case  they 
decided  to  remain  where  they  were,  that  their  uncle 
had  fully  sanctioned  in  his  answer  to  the  colonel,  bear- 
ing the  same  date  as  that  of  his  kind  letter  to  Lizzie, 
above  referred  to. 

Colonel  White  now  proceeded  to  lay  the  whole  plan 
fully  before  his  young  friends,  in  the  presence  of  Mrs. 
Herrick,  leaving  them  free  to  decide  in  the  matter 
without  a  word  of  argument  on  his  part.  The  plan 
was  briefly  as  follows  :  — 

Lizzie  and  Mary  were  to  continue  to  occupy  their 


216  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 

own  dear  home.  As  it  would  not  be  proper,  however, 
for  two  young  girls  to  live  wholly  by  themselves,  the 
house,  excepting  one  room  and  bedroom,  was  to  be  let 
to  some  small,  quiet  family.  The  house  had  been  well 
planned,  by  Mr.  Swift,  for  six  good  rooms  ;  but  misfor- 
tune, sickness,  and  death  had  prevented  him  from 
carrying  out  his  original  intentions,  and  hence  the 
whole  upper  part  remained  in  a  partially  finished  state. 
The  little  property  had  been  mortgaged,  years  before, 
to  Squire  Belmont.  The  mortgage  had  expired,  and 
the  right  of  redemption  ceased,  long  ago  ;  but,  fortu- 
nately for  Mr.  Swift  and  his  family,  Squire  Belmont 
was  not  the  man  to  distress  a  fellow-creature  who  was 
struggling  against  misfortune.  Hence  the  family  had 
never  been  disturbed,  and  had  continued  to  live  in  the 
house  rent  free. 

Colonel  White  knew  all  the  circumstances,  had 
talked  with  the  squire  about  a  relinquishment  of  the 
claim,  had  informed  Mr.  Hart  of  the  very  generous 
terms  agreed  to  by  Squire  Belmont,  and  had  received 
instructions  from  him  to  secure  the  property  for  the 
orphans,  and  to  have  the  house  finished  at  once,  so  as 
to  make  it  tenantable  throughout,  —  that  is,  if  his 
nieces  decided  •  to  remain  in  Harryseekit,  —  and  he 
would  forward  a  draft  to  meet  all  demands.  (He 
had  already  placed  in  Colonel  White's  hands  funds 


THE    TO  UNO  INVINCIBLES.  217 

sufficient  to  pay  all  the  bills  of  Mrs.  Swift's  sickness 
since  her  husband's  death,  the  funeral  expenses,  and  to 
meet  any  immediate  wants  of  the  orphans.) 

When  Colonel  White  had  divulged  thus  much  of  the 
proposed  arrangements,  he  waited  to  see  how  it  would 
be  received  by  his  interested  listeners.  Lizzie,  how- 
ever, was  so  much  overjoyed  at  the  prospect  before 
them,  and  so  filled  with  gratitude  at  the  kindness  of 
Colonel  White,  the  generosity  of  Squire  Belmont,  and 
the  munificence  of  her  uncle  Hart,  that  she  could 
scarcely  articulate,  in  broken  sentences,  her  hearty 
approval  of  the  scheme.  And  although  Mary  had 
taken  some  childish  delight  in  the  anticipation  of  a 
long  journey  to  see  her  wealthy  relatives,  and  perhaps 
to  live  with  them,  still,  her  love  for  Lizzie,  and 
her  confidence  in  whatever  she  decided  upon,  out- 
weighed every  other  consideration,  and  caused  her 
to  exclaim, — 

"0,  Lizzie,  how  nice  it  will  be  to  live  here 
always ! " 

"  Yes,  I  would  rather  live  here,  where  our  dear 
father  and  mother  lived,  and  sickened,  and  died,  than 
in  a  palace  at  a  distance.  But,"  she  continued,  ad- 
dressing Colonel  White,  "  how  are  we  to  live  here? 
What  can  I  do  to  support  myself  and  Mary,  and  to 


218  PATRIOTISM:  AT  HOME,  OR 

keep  her  at  school  ?  "  and  a  shade  of  concern  settled 
upon  the  thoughtful  girl's  handsome  face. 

The  kind  old  gentleman,  however,  as  he  now  un- 
folded the  remainder  of  his  plan,  soon  caused  the 
shadow  to  pass  away,  giving  place  to  sunshine  and 
happiness.  Mrs.  Herrick  was  a  most  excellent  opera- 
tor on  the  sewing  machine ;  and,  after  Mrs.  Swift's 
death,  when  she  decided  to  remain  for  the  present  with 
the  orphan  girls,  she  had  requested  George  to  bring 
Mrs.  White's  machine  to  her  there,  that  she  might 
employ  her  time  advantageously.  Lizzie  had  at  once 
taken  an  interest  in  the  useful  household  article,  and 
quite  soon  convinced  Mrs.  Herrick  that  a  very  little 
practice  would  make  her  a  competent  operator.  This 
fact  had  been  mentioned  to  Colonel  "White,  who  advised 
Mrs.  Herrick  to  encourage  her  young  friend  in  the 
practice  ;  and  now  his  object  in  having  done  so  was 
made  manifest.  He  informed  Lizzie  that  he  understood 
she  could  work  very  well,  even  now,  on  the  sewing 
machine,  and  as  Mrs.  Herrick  would  remain  with 
her  some  weeks  longer,  she  could  still  further  perfect 
herself  in  that  branch  of  industry.  She  could  then 
have  the  free  use  of  the  machine  just  as  long  as  she 
pleased ;  for  Aunt  Betsey  had  a  machine,  and  they 
could  make  that  do  the  work  for  both  families. 

"  And  now,"  continued  the  colonel,  "  for  your  means 


THE    YOUNG  INV1NCIBLES.  219 

of  support.  Young  Mr.  Hunt,  who  has  just  opened  a 
small  fancy  goods  store  at  the  Corner,  and  was  recently 
married  to  Susan  Payson,  with  whom  you  are  well 
acquainted,  mentioned  to  me  the  other  day  that  he 
wanted  a  small  house,  as  they  were  about  to  commence 
housekeeping.  I  told  him  I  expected  this  would  be 
finished  within  a  few  weeks,  and  that  he  could  probably 
have  all  but  two  rooms.  He  said  it  would  be  just  what 
they  wanted.  And  furthermore,  when  I  informed  him 
that  you  were  learning  to  work  on  the  sewing  machine, 
he  said  he  could  give  you  all  the  work  you  wanted  to 
do,  if  you  learned  to  do  it  neatly,  and  would  pay  you 
a  living  price  for  it.  He  is  an  honorable  man,  and 
you  can  depend  upon  what  he  says." 

Lizzie  was  as  well  pleased  with  the  latter  part  of 
Colonel  White's  arrangements  for  their  future  liveli- 
hood as  she  had  been  with  the  former,  and  longed  for 
the  day  to  come  when  she  could  feel  that  she  was  sup- 
porting herself  and  sister  by  the  honest  labor  of  her 
own  head  and  hands.  She  thanked  the  kind  old  gen- 
tleman over  and  over  again  for  his  fatherly  interest  in 
their  welfare,  and  affectionately  pressed  both  his  hands 
in  hers  as  she  bade  him  good  night. 

Turning  to  Mrs.  Herrick,  after  the  colonel  left, 
Lizzie  said,  with  much  earnestness, — 


220  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 

"  O,  such  a  man  as  Colonel  White  ought  to  live 
always !  " 

"  I  never  knew,  I  never  heard,  of  his  equal," 
replied  Mrs.  Herrick.  "  Every  moment  of  his  life 
seems  to  be  devoted  to  doing  good  to  his  fellow-crea- 
tures. You  and  I,  dear  Lizzie,  should  be  thankful 
for  such  a  friend." 

"  I  am  truly  thankful,"  responded  the  young  girl,  in 
unmistakable  tones  of  sincerity. 

On  the  very  next  day  following  the  acceptance  of 
the  plan  suggested  by  Colonel  White,  carpenters  were 
busily  at  work  finishing  off  the  house  that  had  been 
commenced  years  before  by  Mr.  Swift.  A  few  weeks 
sufficed  to  make  it  ready  for  occupancy.  Mrs.  Herrick 
returned  home,  with  regrets  on  both  sides,  for  a  sincere 
and  mutual  friendship  between  her  and  Lizzie  Swift  had 
grown  stronger  and  deeper  every  day  they  remained 
under  the  same  roof.  Mr.  Hunt  took  possession  of 
his  part  of  the  house,  and  Lizzie  took  possession  of 
the  sewing  machine  —  both  well  pleased  with  the 
premises.  Mr.  Hunt  immediately  gave  Lizzie  some 
work,  and  it  was  done  to  his  entire  satisfaction. 
Whereupon  he  informed  her  that  he  would  keep  her 
employed  all  the  time.  The  young  girl  was  now 
truly  happy.  Her  household  duties  were  just  sufficient 
to  keep  her  from  working  too  steadily  at  the  machine, 


THE    YOUNG  INVINCIBLE S.  221 

and  hence,  both  her  health  and  spirits  were  kept  in  a 
good,  sound  condition. 

When  Colonel  White  called  on  Squire  Belmont  with 
the  amount  of  money  (two  hundred  dollars)  which 
that  gentleman  had  previously  named  as  an  equivalent 
for  relinquishing  all  claim  to  the  Swift  property,  he 
could  not  prevail  upon  him  to  accept  a  single  dollar, 
although  he  was  informed  that  it  had  been  forwarded 
by  Mr.  Hart  for  that  express  purpose. 

"  No,"  said  Squire  Belmont,  "  I  cannot  take  a  single 
mill  of  that  money.  I  have  already  attended  to  the 
cancellation  of  the  mortgage,  and  the  property  now 
stands  free  and  clear  to  the  heirs  of  John  Swift ;  and 
you,  colonel,  as  their  legal  guardian,  must  see  that  it 
remains  so." 

"  But  what  about  this  sum  of  two  hundred  dollars?" 
asked  Colonel  White. 

"  It  belongs  to  the  two  girls.  Put  it  out  at  interest 
for  them,"  replied  Squire  Belmont.  "  Were  it  not 
that  this  war  business  has  drawn  so  largely  on  my 
purse,  I  would  make  it  up  to  five  hundred  dollars. 
I  consider  Lizzie  Swift  a  girl  of  unequalled  goodness, 
and  I  should  be  tempted  to  dance  at  her  wedding  — 
provided  the  man  should  ever  be  found  that  is  worthy 
of  her." 

"  I  thank  you,  squire,  most  sincerely,  in  the  name 


222  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 

of  the  orphans,  and  will  see  that  this  money  is  safely 
invested  for  them,"  responded  the  colonel. 

So  judiciously  did  Colonel  White  manage  the  affairs 
for  his  two  young  wards,  and  so  liberally  did  every 
one  holding  any  claims  against  the  little  estate  discount 
in  their  favor,  that  he  found  —  after  paying  every 
demand,  and  placing  in  Lizzie's  hands  a  sum  of  money 
sufficient  to  last  them  till  she  should  make  her  first 
quarterly  settlement  with  Mr.  Hunt  for  rent  and 
work  —  he  should  be  able  to  place  a  little  more  than 
three  hundred  dollars  at  interest  for  them. 

Lizzie  remembered  her  mother's  dying  words,  "Con- 
tinue your  implicit  faith  and  trust  in  God,  and  he  will 
raise  up  friends  for  you  here  on  earth,"  and  she  deter- 
mined to  abide  by  that  faith. 


THE    YOUNG  INVISIBLES.  223 


CHAPTER    XXI. 

RECEPTION   OF  GENERAL  HOWARD. 

LTHOUGH  events  of  vast  import  to  the 
nation  were  constantly  transpiring  on  the  dif- 
ferent battle-fields,  which  served  to  inspire  the 
Young  Invincibles  with  a  determination  to  keep  up 
their  organization,  and  to  profit  by  experience,  these 
events  are  too  well  known  to  all '  classes  of  readers 
to  need  to  be  chronicled  here,  even  did  not  our  space 
and  object  forbid  such  a  course.  Indeed,  we  feel  com- 
pelled to  pass  in  silence  over  a  twelvemonth,  leaving 
the  boys  of  Harryseekit  during  this  time  under  the 
friendly  and  patriotic  instruction  of  their  stanch  old 
friend  Colonel  White,  this  long  step  taking  us  to  the 
spring  of  1863,  the  commencement  of  the  third  year 
of  the  rebellion,  and  well  along  in  the  second  year  of 
the  existence  of  the  Young  Invincibles. 

"  Have  you  heard  anything  more  about  the  expected 
visit  of  General  Howard?"  asked  Tom  Sprightly  of 
his  friend  George  Herrick,  at  the  close  of  a  fine 


224:  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 

afternoon,  as  the  two  lads  walked  across  the  corner  of 
the  orchard  from  Mrs.  Herrick's  to  Colonel  White's. 

"  No,  nothing  positive ;  but  the  colonel  feels  quite 
certain  that  he  will  come,"  replied  George. 

"  Peppermint  and  shoestrings  !  "  exclaimed  Tom  ; 
"  I  hope  he  will  come.  I  want  to  see  the  one-armed 
hero." 

"  I  hardly  think  the  general  will  be  very  well 
pleased  with  his  reception,  if  he  is  to  be  treated  to 
'  peppermint  and  shoestrings,' "  said  Lucy  "White, 
laughingly,  as  the  boys  came  unexpectedly  upon  her 
and  Lizzie  and  Mary  Swift,  as  they  turned  round  the 
corner  of  the  house.  "  George  tells  me  he  really  be- 
lieves you  have  given  up  turning  somersets.  I  give 
you  all  credit  for  that.  But  please  tell  us,  Lieutenant 
Sprightly,  when  you  are  going  to  give  up  your  '  pep- 
permint and  shoestrings  '  ?  " 

Our  friend  Tom  had  been  recently  promoted.  • 

"  About  the  same  time,  probably,  that  some  young 
ladies  of  my  acquaintance  give  up  their  '  popped 
corn,' "  replied  the  newly-made  lieutenant,  with  a 
low  bow. 

All  three  of  the  girls  had  their  hands  full  of  snow- 
white  corn  of  Lucy's  own  preparing,  and  were  grati- 
fying their  palates  with  the  delicious  morsels. 

"  Well,  that  time  will  soon  come,"  rejoined  Lucyv 


THE   TOUNO  INVINCIBLES.  225 

"  for  my  supply  in  the  ear  is  getting  to  be  rather  short. 
I  really  believe  that  you  and  George  make  '  raids ' 
upon  it.  But  come,  Lieutenant  Tom  Sprightly,  how- 
much  corn  shall  I  give  you  to  abandon  your  '  pepper- 
mint and  shoestrings'  forever?" 

"  Give  me  every  particle  of  corn  you  hold  in  your 
hand,"  responded  Tom,  "  and  I'll  bid  good  by  to  'pep- 
permint,' and  throw  in  the  '  shoestrings,'  same  as  they 
do  down  to  the  Corner  when  you  buy  a  pair  of  shoes. 
Is  it  a  bargain  ?  " 

"  Yes,  it  is  a  bargain,"  said  Lucy,  approaching  quite 
near  to  Tom,  "  if  you  will  faithfully  promise  to  abide 
by  it." 

"  And  you  shall  have  half  of  mine,  also,"  added 
Lizzie. 

"  And  I  will  take  a  portion  of  the  other  half,"  said 
George,  helping  himself  very  liberally  from  Lizzie's 
willing  hand. 

"  And  you  shall  have  half  of  mine,  too,"  joined  in 
Mary,  as  the  three  young  girls  gathered  merrily  about 
Tom,  who  was  always  ready  for  a  little  frolic. 

"  Now  for  your  promise,"  said  Lucy,  as  she  ex- 
tended towards  him  her  tempting  hand. 

"  I  most  faithfully  promise,"  began  Tom,  assuming 
a  ludicrously  sober  countenance,  "  in  the  presence  of 
these  living,  eating  witnesses,  that  from  this  hour 
15 


226  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 

forward  I  adopt  '  popped  corn '  in  the  place  of 
'  peppermint.' " 

As  Tom  completed  his  "  oath  of  allegiance,"  more 
sincere,  probably,  than  many  taken  in  other  sections  of 
the  country,  Lucy  restored  him  to  the  "  rights  of  citi- 
zenship "  by  emptying  the  contents  of  her  hand  into 
his  —  which  favor  he  acknowledged  by  an  immediate 
gustatory  attack  upon  the  dainty  "  rations." 

"  Here  comes  grandfather !  "  cried  Lucy,  turning 
her  eyes  towards  the  Corner.  "  And  see,  he  holds 
up  a  letter,  and  his  face  is  all  smiles." 

"  Just  as  it  always  is,  bless  his  dear  old  soul !  "  was 
the  exclamation  from  the  admiring  Lizzie. 

"  I  know  by  his  looks,  Tom,  that  he  has  favorable 
news  from  General  Howard.  He  expected  a  letter 
from  Squire  Belmont,  who  is  in  Boston,  with  regard 
to  the  general's  visit.  We  shall  see  him,  my  boy  !  " 
and  George  gave  his  companion  such  a  slap  on  the 
shoulder  as  caused  half  the  corn  in  his  hand  to  shower 
down  over  his  feet. 

"Pep — popped  corn  and  shoestrings!"  exclaimed 
Tom,  as  he  stooped,  and  commenced  gathering  up  his 
treasure,  some  of  which  had  actually  lodged  among 
his  shoestrings.  "  George  Herrick,  you  have  crippled 
me  for  life !  How  shall  I  ever  be  able  to  walk  with 
all  these  corns  on  my  toes  ? "  and  he  began  to  limp 


THE    YOUNG   INVINCIBLES.  227 

about,  amidst  the  laughter  of  the  girls,  as  if  he  had 
been  in  reality  a  fit  subject  for  a  chiropodist. 

"  I  beg  pardon,  Tom,"  said  George,  laughing  with 
the  rest.  "  I  had  no  idea  that  Lucy's  corn  still  pos- 
sessed such  power  of  '  popping,'  or  I  should  have  been 
more  careful." 

"  Well,  I'll  not  quarrel  with  you  in  presence  of  the 
ladies,"  replied  Tom,  with  assumed  dignity.  Then 
turning  towards  the  girls,  he  continued,  holding  up 
between  his  thumb  and  finger  one  of  the  largest  and 
whitest  of  the  kernels  of  corn,  "  Why  is  this  like  your 
grandfather,  Lucy  ?  " 

"  I'm  sure  I  can't  tell,"  she  replied.    "  I  give  it  up." 

"  Because  it's  kernel  all  over  white  •  "  and  the  kernel 
entered  Tom's  mouth  just  at  the  moment  that  the 
colonel  entered  the  gate,  amidst  the  ringing  laugh  of 
the  little  group  of  young  folks  assembled  near  the 
house. 

"  I  am  glad  to  see  that  you  are  having  a  merry  time 
of  it,"  said  Colonel  White,  as  he  took  an  extended 
hand  of  Lizzie  and  Mary  in  each  -of  his,  while  Lucy 
darted  in  between  them  to  give  and  receive  the  usual 
kiss. 

"  We  were  laughing  at  one  of  Tom's  poor  jokes," 
remarked  George,  as  the  colonel  looked  at  him  in- 
quiringly. 


228  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 

"  And  I  am  appreciating  ray  own  joke,  which 
others  are  not  capable  of  doing,"  said  Tom,  as  his 
teeth  performed  the  office  of  mastication  upon  the  last 
of  Lucy's  "  supplies," 

Lucy  repeated  the  conundrum  to  her  grandfather, 
who  laughed  heartily,  while  he  shook  his  cane  at  the 
author  of  it,  and  told  him  he  must  lay  joking  aside  for 
a  day  or  two,  and  remember  that  he  was  an  officer  in 
the  Invincibles,  for  there  was  a  great  honor  awaiting 
that  company,  and  he  trusted  every  member  would 
sustain  himself  Avith  credit  on  the  occasion. 

The  colonel  then  read  the  letter  that  he  held  in  his 
hand,  which  was  from  Squire  Belmont,  and  contained 
the  pleasing  intelligence  that  General  Howard  had 
fully  decided  to  take  Harryseekit  in  his  route,  and 
would  arrive  there  in  the  morning  train  of  the  next 
day  but  one. 

"  And  now,  George,"  said  the  colonel,  as  he  folded 
the  letter,  "  you  and  Tom  must  display  what  military 
talent  you  possess  to  the  best  advantage,  for  the  Invin- 
cibles must  turn  out  with  full  ranks,  and  perform  escort 
duty  to  the  distinguished  visitor." 

"Bravo!"  cried  Tom,  fairly  jumping  about  for 
joy.  "  We  can  do  the  business  up  in  good  shape  — 
can't  we,  George  ?  "  and  he  returned  the  slap  upon  the 
shoulder  with  good  interest. 


THE    YOUNG  INVINCIBLE S.  229 

"  I  think  we  shall  have  no  reason  to  be  ashamed  of 
our  boys,"  replied  George,  in  a  confident  tone.  "  "We 
must  notify  them  all  early  to-morrow  to  meet  at  the 
armory  the  next  morning  at  eight  o'clock.  And  we'll 
have  Uncle  Bill  take  hold  of  the  guns  and  accoutre- 
ments to-morrow,  with  the  help  of  some  half-dozen  of 
us  boys,  and  put  an  extra  touch  upon  them." 

Mrs.  White  had  joined  the  party  in  front  of  the 
house  in  time  to  hear  the  reading  of  the  letter  by  her 
husband,  and  expressed  much  gratification,  with  the 
others,  at  the  expected  visit  of  one  of  our  bravest 
generals  and  best  of  men. 

"  Lucy,  my  dear,"  said,  she,  "  we  shall  have  to  stir 
ourselves  to-morrow  to  put  things  in  proper  train  for 
the  next  day.  "We  couldn't  make  any  great  display  if 
we  should  attempt  it ;  and  I  have  no  wish  to  try ;  but 
we  must  give  the  general  a  cordial  reception,  and  a 
good,  substantial  dinner." 

"  O,  I  dare  say  the  general  has  eaten  many  a  poorer 
dinner  than  you  will  give  him,  grandmother,"  replied 
L/ucy.  "  But  then  I'll  do  my  best  to  help  you,  for  I 
should  like  to  have  things  in  pretty  good  shape.  And 
Lizzie  will  come  down  early  to-morrow,  and  assist 
you,  too,  and  she  will  be  worth  a  dozen  like  me  ;  and 
then,  with  the  help  of  Mrs.  Herrick  and  Aunt  Betsey, 
I  shouldn't  wonder  if  we  got  up  a  splendid  dinner ! 


230  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 

You'll  come — won't  you,  'Lizzie?  and  Mary  can  come 
right  here  from  school ;  "  and  the  animated  girl  looked 
at  her  young  friend  for  an  answer. 

"  Yes,  indeed,  if  I  can  be  of  the  least  assistance," 
was  the  cheerful  reply. 

So  we  see  that  the  fine  old  lady  had  the  ready 
promise  of  willing  hands  to  assist  in  getting  up  a 
"good,  substantial  dinner"  for  the  general. 

The  morning  and  the  hour  had  arrived  when  Gen- 
eral Howard  was  looked  for  by  the  good  people  of 
Harryseekit,  and  the  grounds  round  about  the  little 
depot,  as  well  as  the  street  leading  from  it  up  into  the 
centre  of  the  village,  were  filled  with  highly  expectant, 
though  most  orderly,  citizens.  At  the  end  of  the  plat- 
form nearest  the  street  were  drawn  up  the  Young 
Invincibles,  now  mustering  seventy-five  muskets,  ready 
to  receive  the  distinguished  visitor,  and  to  escort  him 
through  the  main  street  to  Colonel  White's  residence. 

Directly  is  heard  the  familiar  "  whistle,"  and  in  a 
few  moments  more  the  train  comes  thundering  along, 
and  then  gradually,  as  if  by  instinct,  draws  up  at  the 
little  brown  depot.  The  "  Christian  Hero "  stepped 
upon  the  platform.  No  one  could  be  mistaken.  There 
was  the  solitary  left  arm.  Its  mate  had  been  yielded 
up  far  away  on  the  battle-field,  one  of  the  many  sacri- 
fices in  the  work  of  putting  down  an  unrighteous 


THE    YOUNG   INVINCIBLES.  231 

rebellion.  The  moment  his  foot  touched  the  platform, 
cheer  upon  cheer  rent  the  air,  handkerchiefs  waved, 
hats  were  thrown  up,  and  such  demonstrations  of 
enthusiasm  manifested  for  some  minutes  as  were  never 
before  witnessed  in  Harryseekit. 

The  visitor  was  accompanied  by  a  single  officer  of 
his  staff,  Major  Payson,  and  Squire  Belmont.  Colonel 
White  stepped  forward  and  gave  the  general  a  cordial 
greeting.  He  then  introduced  him  to  the  selectmen  of 
the  town  and  some  of  the  most  prominent  citizens. 
"While  this  was  taking  place,  the  assemblage  was 
agreeably  surprised  by  hearing  a  full  band  of  music 
strike  up  "Hail  to  the  Chief!"  There  was  nothing 
like  a  "Band"  in  the  town;  so,  of  course,  this  was 
unexpected  to  every  one.  But  Squire  Belmont,  being 
aware  that  good  music  would  add  much  to  the  enjoy- 
ment of  the  occasion,  had  engaged  the  musicians,  at 
his  own  expense,  at  Capeland,  where  the  train  had  been 
delayed  for  half  an  hour,  and  brought  them  on  with 
him.  They  had  left  the  cars  quietly,  on  the  opposite 
side,  at  a  hint  from  the  squire,  and  joined  the  Invinci- 
bles,  and  commenced  playing  before  their  presence  was 
known  to  the  crowd  generally. 

As  the  band  began  to  play,  General  Howard  turned 
his  eyes  in  that  direction,  and  noticed  for  the  first  time 
the  military  company  drawn  up  to  receive  him.  For  a 


232  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 

moment  lie  fixed  his  gaze  upon  the  perfectly-formed 
line,  as  if  surprised  at  such  soldierly  bearing,  and  then, 
turning  to  Colonel  White,  with  a  smile  of  satisfaction 
on  his  countenance,  remarked,  — 

"  Squire  Belmont  has  been  giving  me  a  little  his- 
torical sketch  of  the  *  Young  Invincibles,'  and  I  had 
become  somewhat  interested  in  them.  I  was  pre- 
pared, however,  to  see  a  mere  company  of  boys ;  but 
I  see  a  body  of  soldiers.  You  must  have  drilled  them 
long  and  thoroughly,  colonel." 

"  I  paid  considerable  attention  to  them  for  the  first 
few  months,"  replied  Colonel  White  ;  "  but  since  that 
time  they  have  been  drilled  almost  wholly  by  their 
own  officers  —  more  especially  by  their  captain." 

"And  what  is  the  captain's  name?"  inquired  the 
general,  taking  out  his  memorandum-book. 

"  George  Herrick,"  replied  the  colonel. 

"  A  good-sounding  name,"  said  General  Howard,  as 
he  wrote  it  down  and  returned  the  book  to  his  pocket. 

"  And  a  good,  sound  young  man  that  bears  it," 
remarked  Squire  Belmont,  with  much  emphasis. 

The  carriages  which  were  to  convey  the  general  and 
his  friends  through  the  village  to  Colonel  White's  resi- 
dence were  waiting  on  the  street,  a  few  rods  from  the 
depot,  and  the  party  now  moved  in  that  direction.  As 
they  neared  the  escort,  the  order  was  given,  "Present  — 


TEE    YOUNG   INVINCIBLES.  233 

arms,"  and  every  musket  was  brought  into  position  at 
the  same  instant,  almost  as  if  one  mind  and  hand  had 
governed  the  entire  movement. 

"  Admirable  !  "  exclaimed  the  war-worn  hero,  whose 
eye  was  fixed  upon  the  young  soldiers. 

Having  passed  along  the  front  of  the  "  Invincibles," 
Colonel  White  and  his  friends  conducted  their  distin- 
guished guest  to  the  carriages  in  waiting,  the  military 
immediately  formed  and  marched  to  the  head,  the 
band  struck  up,  "  See,  the  conquering  hero  comes  !  " 
and  the  "  procession "  commenced  its  march  up  the 
street.  And  although  this  procession  could  not  be  said 
to  be  either  extensive  or  magnificent,  yet  the  general 
afterwards  often  referred  to  his  reception  at  Harry- 
seekit  as  one  of  the  most  gratifying  he  met  with 
during  his  brief  tour  through  the  state. 

Arriving  at  Colonel  White's,  the  procession  halted  in 
front  of  the  gate,  over  which,  extending  from  the 
branches  of  a  tree  on  either  side,  was  a  very  hand- 
some display  of  flags  which  Uncle  Bill  had  managed  to 
arrange,  without  help  from  any  one,  while  waiting  for 
the  arrival  of  the  guest. 

Captain  Herrick  again  formed  his  company  in  line, 
outside  the  gate,  and  the  general  was  conducted  aloog 
their  front  and  into  the  hospitable  dwelling  of  his 
patriotic  old  friend,  where  he  had  received  many  a 


234  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 

cordial  welcome  in  earlier  years.  As  he  approached 
the  gateway  he  said,  — 

"  Colonel  White,  these  flags  are  very  tastefully  dis- 
played. Who  arranged  them?  " 

"  O,  that  is  the  work  of  my  old  sailor  friend,  gen- 
eral, while  the  rest  of  us  have  been  waiting  for  you  at 
the  depot,"  replied  the  colonel. 

"  Yes,  yes  ;  I  remember  him.  Let  me  see  ;  Uncle 
Bill  Ballast — is  it  not?"  inquired  General  Howard. 

"  The  same,"  responded  his  friend. 

"  I  shall  be  happy  to  take  the  old  tar  by  the  hand," 
rejoined  the  general.  "  I  love  an  old  sailor  next  to  an 
old  soldier ; "  and  he  pressed  Colonel  White's  arm 
which  was  locked  in  his. 

They  had  now  entered  the  house,  where  the  general 
was  met  and  warmly  welcomed  by  Mrs.  White  and 
Lucy.  He  was  then  introduced  by  the  colonel  to  Mrs. 
Herrick,  as  his  wife's  companion  and  Captain  Herrick's 
mother,  to  Lizzie  and  Mary  Swift,  as  his  wards,  and  to 
a  few  of  the  neighbors  who  were  present  by  request,  — 
not  forgetting  Uncle  Bill,  whose  native  bashfulness  soon 
gave  way  before  the  free  and  cordial  manner  of  the 
great  and  good  soldier.  The  general  congratulated 
Mrs.  Herrick  upon  having  so  promising  a  son,  saying 
he  had  taken  much  interest  in  him,  said  a  few  pleasant 
words  to  the  two  sisters  as  to  their  good  fortune  in 


THE    YOUNG   INVINCIBLES.  235 

being  under  such  excellent  guardianship,  and  then 
turned  to  Uncle  Bill,  with  an  allusion  to  the  navy, 
to  the  hardships  and  bravery  of  the  sailors,  to  their 
undying  love  and  veneration  of  the  old  flag,  and  then 
complimented  the  old  seaman  personally  for  his  de- 
spatch and  taste  in  arranging  the  bunting  so  gracefully 
over  the  gateway. 

The  old  sailor  was  fairly  delighted  at  this  compli- 
ment from  the  great  general,  but  was  not  a  little 
puzzled  to  know  how  to  acknowledge  it.  However, 
he  thought  some  reply  was  due,  and  he  must  "  heave 
ahead." 

"  You  see,  general,"  commenced  Uncle  Bill,  "  it's 
very  little  that  a  stiff  old  chap  like  me  can  do,  any 
way.  But  I  do  love  to  handle  the  '  stars  and  stripes  ! ' 
Why,  sir,  a  man  that  can't  work  the  flags  of  his  coun- 
try into  something  beautiful  airit  got  anyf  soul  !  I've 
seen  the  time  when  I  could  make  those  two  trees  out 
there  look  like  a  commodore's  ship  just  after  a  great 
victory  !  But  those  days  are  past  now,  and  I'm  about 
the  same  as  laid  up  in  ordinary,"  continued  the  old 
sailor,  descending  again  into  the  self-deprecating  tone 
and  manner  in  which  he  had  commenced.  "  Besides, 
I  never  could  do  much  ashore.  The  land  is  all  well 
enough,  I  s'pose,  in  its  way ;  but  then  there's  nothing 
like  a  good  ship  and  plenty  of  sea-room.  A  chap 


236  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 

knows  what  he  is  about  then,  if  he  only  keeps  his 
reck'ning." 

"  I  rather  think  you  will  have  to  make  up  your 
mind  to  spend  the  rest  of  your  days  on  shore,  though," 
responded  the  general,  smiling  at  the  old  sailor's  love 
and  preference  for  his  former  vocation. 

"  O,  yes,  sir ;  I  made  up  my  mind  to  that,  long  ago. 
And  I'm  anchored  here  in  a  first-rate  harbor,"  rejoined 
Uncle  Bill,  in  a  more  contented  tone. 

"  You  have  a  very  fine  parade  here  in  front  of  your 
house,  Colonel  White,"  remarked  the  general,  looking 
from  the  window  ;  "  and  I  see  that  Captain  Herrick  is 
about  to  improve  it.  Really,  it  affords  me  great  pleas- 
ure to  look  at  those  youthful  soldiers.  Come,  I  must 
have  a  nearer  view  ;  "  and  passing  out  at  the  door,  he 
walked  rapidly  down  to  the  gate,  followed  by  the 
whole  party. 

George  Herrick,  as  we  have  found  on  various  occa- 
sions, was  a  cool,  clear-headed  youth,  and  he  was  in 
nowise  embarrassed  when  he  became  aware  that  the 
movements  of  his  company  were  to  be  closely  observed 
by  a  general  right  from  the  battle-field.  In  fact,  his 
confidence  grew  stronger  as  the  responsibilities  of  his 
position  increased.  And  the  result  was,  that  he 
drilled  and  manoeuvred  his  company  for  the  space 
of  twenty  or  twenty-five  minutes  with  such  perfect 


THE    YOUNG   INYINCIBLES.  237 

ease  and  accuracy  as  to  call  forth  many  expressions  of 
warm  commendation  from  the  general  and  Major 
Payson. 

Finally,  as  the  company  marched  up  near  to  the  gate, 
and  was  ordered  to  a  rest,  General  Howard  at  once 
advanced  and  shook  Captain  Herrick  warmly  by  the 
hand,  complimenting  him  as  to  his  efficiency  as  a 
commander,  and  congratulating  him  upon  the  perfect 
discipline  and  martial  appearance  of  those  under 
his  command.  After  an  introduction  to  Lieutenants 
Sprightly  and  Sherman,  the  general  addressed  a  few 
words  of  encouragement  to  the  company,  praising 
them  for  their  military  proficiency,  and  thanking 
them  for  their  attentions  to  himself. 

He  hoped,  he  said,  that  the  terrible  war  in  which 
the  country  was  engaged  would  terminate  before  they 
were  old  enough  to  be  called  to  the  field ;  but,  if  such 
proved  to  be  the  fact,  they  must  not  feel  that  their  time 
and  labor  in  bringing  themselves  to  such  perfection  in 
soldierly  bearing  had  been  wasted  —  far  from  it.  They 
had  set  an  example  worthy  to  be  followed  by  the  rising 
generation  throughout  the  length  and  breadth  of  the 
country.  An  interested,  patriotic  "  citizen  soldiery " 
would  be  one  of  the  future  safeguards  of  this  blessed 
Union  saved. 

"  I  am   highly  gratified  that  this  opportunity  has 


238  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OB 

been  afforded  me  of  witnessing  the  proficiency  of  the 
Invincibles,"  continued  the  general,  "  and  I  shall  often 
revert  to  this  occasion  with  pleasure  and  pride.  And 
now,  my  young  soldier  boys,  I  propose  three  rousing 
cheers  for  Colonel  White,  the  originator  of  your  organ- 
ization, and  your  early  instructor  and  constant  friend, 
whose  patriotism  at  home  has  done  so  much  to  warm 
the  hearts  and  nerve  the  arms  of  our  brave  soldiers  in 
the  field." 

And  immediately  the  air  resounded  with  the  pro- 
posed cheers  —  not  only  by  the  "  Invincibles,"  but  by 
the  collected  multitude  all  around  —  with  an  earnest- 
ness which  showed  that  they  came  from  the  heart. 
Colonel  White  stepped  forward  and  bowed  his  ac- 
knowledgments, and  then  proposed, — 

"  '  Three  times  three  '  for  our  brave  General  How- 
ard." 

Again  the  cheers  pealed  forth  with  increased  energy, 
and  for  a  few  moments  the  scene  was  one  of  almost 
wild  enthusiasm.  As  the  excitement  died  away,  the 
general  briefly  thanked  the  citizens  of  Harryseekit  for 
their  kind  reception,  expressed  his  fullest  confidence  in 
the  integrity  and  strength  of  the  administration,  and 
told  them  that  patience  and  patriotism  for  a  year  or 
two  longer  would  place  the  Union  on  a  firmer  base 
than  ever  before. 


THE   YOUNG  INVINCIBLES.  239 

Colonel  White  and  his  guests  now  returned  to  the 
house,  the  band  played  several  lively  airs,  Captain 
Herrick  dismissed  his  company,  and  the  crowd  quietly 
dispersed  in  different  directions  —  all  highly  delighted 
with  the  proceedings  of  the  morning. 


240  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OB 


CHAPTER  XXH. 

THE    "  LAUNCHING." 

OON  after  entering  the  house,  Colonel  White 
said,  — 

"  General  Howard,  we  have  been  building  a 
fine,  large  ship  at  the  Point,  and  she  is  to  be  launched 
at  two  o'clock  to-day.  How  would  you  like  to  take 
a  ride  d9wn  there  and  see  her  go  off?" 

"  Nothing  would  suit  me  better,"  replied  the  general. 
"  I  always  thought  it  a  scene  of  grandeur  to  see  a  ship 
move  swiftly  and  gracefully  into  her  proper  element ; 
and  years  have  elapsed  since  an  opportunity  of  the 
kind  has  presented  itself.  I  will  certainly  go  to  the 
'  launching '  —  that  is,  if  we  can  return  in  season  for 
me  to  take  the  five  o'clock  train  this  afternoon." 

"  There  will  be  ample  time,"  responded  the  colonel, 
"  if  you  and  the  rest  of  the  gentlemen  have  no  objec- 
tion to  a  twelve  o'clock  dinner  ;  for  it  would  be  too  late 
to  dine  after  our  return." 

"  I  breakfasted  early  this  morning,  as  is  my  custom," 


THE    YOUNG   INVINCIBLES.  241 

rejoined  the  general,  "  and  an  early  dinner  will  suit 
me  all  the  better.  In  fact,  I  never  adopt  '  fashionable 
hours,'  unless  they  are  forced  upon  me." 

Major  Payson,  Squire  Belmont,  the  "  town  author- 
ities," and  the  remainder  of  the  party,  numbering 
twelve  in  all,  were  unanimous  for  the  early  dinner  and 
the  "  launching,"  and  the  colonel  at  once  informed  his 
wife  and  Mrs.  Herrick  of  the  decision.  Now,  if  Mrs. 
White  and  her  friend  had  not  been  sensible  women, 
this  piece  of  information  —  requiring  dinner  two  hours 
earlier  than  had  been  at  first  intended  —  would  have 
put  them  into  a  complete  "  flurry."  As  it  was,  they 
quietly  informed  the  girls  of  the  new  arrangement, 
and  all  hands  set  at  once  to  work  with  the  determina- 
tion of  having  dinner  ready  at  the  appointed  time. 

It  is  true,  Lucy  was  a  little  nervous,  at  first,  for  fear 
all  their  arrangements  could  not  be  properly  carried 
out ;  but  the  assurances  of  her  grandmother  and  Mrs. 
Herrick,  together  with  the  confident  words  and  manner 
of  Lizzie  Swift,  soon  restored  her  equanimity,  and  mat- 
ters went  on  bravely  in  that  happy  old  family  kitchen. 

The  subject  of  the  "  launching  "  was  again  referred 
to  in  the  parlor,  and  the  colonel  said  to  General  How- 
ard,— 

"I  am  about  to  commit  to  your  charge  a  little 
secret,  general.  You  are  aware  that  it  is  the  custom, 
16 


242  PATRIOTISM   AT  HOME,    OR 

in  these  parts  at  least,  to  paint  the  name  of  a  new 
vessel  on  her  stern,  a  day  or  two  before  the  time  of 
launching,  and  cover  it  immediately  with  canvas, 
which  is  only  removed,  and  the  name  pronounced,  at 
the  moment  the  vessel  glides  into  the  water.  Were 
the  custom  different,  and  the  name  not  already  painted, 
I  should  be  pleased  to  give  you  the  privilege  of  chris- 
tening the  ship.  But,  as  it  is,  I  think  we  have  selected 
a  name  which  you  will  honor.  "We  call  her  the 
4  General  Grant.' " 

"  The  very  name,  of  all  others,  I  would  myself  have 
selected,"  replied  the  general,  in  an  animated  tone.  "  I 
do  indeed  honor  that  name." 

General  Grant  was  at  this  time  on  his  famous  march 
"  to  Vicksburg,"  and  the  public  had  just  begun  to 
realize,  in  a  degree,  that  he  possessed  military  genius 
of  a  high  order. 

"  I  believe  that  General  Grant  will  prove  himself 
to  be  a  great  captain,"  said  the  colonel.  "  I  have  un- 
bounded confidence  in  his  military  ability." 

"  And  so  have  I,"  was  the  response  of  General  How- 
ard. "  He  is  the  general  of  our  day  ;  and  the  people  and 
the  government  will  very  soon  acknowledge  it.  Vicks- 
burg is  sure  to  fall  before  him,  and  then  he  will  be 
called  to  confront  Lee  in  Virginia  ;  and  when  he  once 
sets  himself  down  before  Richmond,  no  earthly  power 


THE    YOUNG  INVINCIBLES.  243 

can  cause  him  to  turn  back  until  his  object  is  accom- 
plished. Mark  my  words,  gentlemen,"  continued  the 
general,  becoming  unusually  earnest  in  his  manner, 
"  Robert  E.  Lee  will,  sooner  or  later,  surrender  his 
boasted  Army  of  Virginia  to  Ulysses  S.  Grant." 

At  precisely  twelve  o'clock  dinner  was  announced, 
and  the  party  at  once  repaired  to  the  well-laden  board. 
Whether  all  the  preparations  had  resulted  in  such  an 
entertainment  as  Lucy  had  been  pleased  in  anticipation 
to  style  "  splendid"  we  shall  leave  for  that  young  lady 
to  decide ;  but  that  it  fully  came  up  to  the  more  sensi- 
ble idea,  put  forth  by  her  venerable  grandmother,  of 
"  a  good,  substantial  dinner,"  was  sufficiently  well 
attested  by  those  whose  good  fortune  allowed  them 
to  partake  of  it. 

Dinner  over,  the  gentlemen  took  seats  in  their  car- 
riages, and  were  soon  on  their  way  to  the  Point.  The 
road  was  in  excellent  order,  and  the  drive  a  very  pleas- 
ant one,  and  "  Dancing  Jim,"  who  had  the  honor  of 
drawing  the  chaise  which  contained  General  Howard 
and  Colonel  White,  was  not  backward  in  showing  his 
spirit  and  speed.  The  general  remarked  upon  the  fine 
qualities  of  the  horse,  which  led  his  owner  to  relate  the 
little  adventure  he  met  with  on  that  road  five  years 
previous,  on  which  occasion  George  Herrick  was  first 
brought  to  his  notice.  He  was  warm  in  his  praises  of 


244  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 

George,  not  only  on  the  occasion  alluded  to,  but  during 
the  whole  five  succeeding  years. 

Among  other  things,  the  colonel  stated  that  he  had 
never  known  the  youth  to  have  the  slightest  difficulty 
with  any  other  boy,  though  every  one  knew  him  to  be 
as  brave  as  a  lion.  He  then  alluded  to  the  strong 
friendship  existing  between  George  and  Tom,  to  the 
many  good  qualities  of  the  latter,  notwithstanding  his 
propensity  for  fun  and  frolic,  and  wound  up  his  com- 
mendation of  the  two  lads  by  saying  that  he  believed 
both  of  them,  if  they  lived  to  be  men,  would  make 
their  mark  in  the  world. 

"  Really,  Colonel  White,  you  interest  me  more  and 
more  in  young  Herri ck,"  said  the  general.  "Take 
care,  or  you  may  lose  him.  I  shall  be  tempted  to  speak 
a  good  word  for  him  in  a  high  quarter." 

"  I  should  be  loath  to  lose  him,"  replied  the  old  gen- 
tleman ;  'S»but  if  it  were  for  his  own  and  his  country's 
good,  I  should  not  regret  it." 

The  conversation  on  the  subject  was  here  brought  to 
a  close  by  the  sudden  halt  of  Dancing  Jim  at  his  usual 
stopping-place  under  the  shed  by  the  entrance  to  the 
shipyard,  where  the  rest  of  the  party  soon  made  their 
appearance,  and  all  walked  down  to  the  ship  together. 

There  was  a  numerous  concourse  of  people  present, 
among  whom  were  George  Herrick  and  Tom  Sprightly, 


THE    TOUNG   INVINCIBLE  S.  245 

with  many  other  members  of  the  "  Invincibles,"  and 
scores  of  the  younger  class  from  the  village,  all  of 
whom  had  started  early  and. walked  the  whole  distance. 
The  crowd  was  unusually  large  —  some  having  come 
to  see  the  "  launching,"  while  many  others  came  to 
see  the  general,  the  news  that  he  was  to  honor  the 
occasion  with  his  presence  having  rapidly  spread 
through  the  town. 

All  was  hurry  and  bustle  among  the  workmen.  It 
was  within  a  few  minutes  of  the  time  appointed  for 
the  ship  to  speed  her  course  down  the  slippery  ways. 
A  large  number  of  spectators  had  been  admitted  on 
board,  and  the  steps  were  removed  to  prevent  her  deck 
from  being  dangerously  crowded ;  and  already  the  fast- 
falling  blows  from  the  carpenters'  stalwart  arms,  all 
along  the  ship's  keel  on  either  side,  told  that  the 
"  wedging-up "  was  going  on  in  earnest.  Presently 
there  is  barely  a  perceptible  start  of  the  huge  hulk ; 
then  all  is  still.  Again,  a  few  rapid  blows ;  another 
start.  The  crowd  on  her  deck  all  jump  and  stamp ; 
the  jar  increases  her  motion.  Quick  —  swift  —  like 
lightning  the  ship  glides  down  the  well-greased  ways, 
ploughs  deep  into  the  briny  element,  as  if  happy  in  the 
opportunity  thus  to  lave  her  long-seasoned  sides,  rolls 
a  huge  wave  on  before  her,  and,  in  another  moment, 


246  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,   OR 

the  "  General  Grant  "  floats  upon  the  water  almost  as 
lightly  and  gracefully  as  a  swan ! 

Now  go  up  the  long,  loud  cheers  from  the  work- 
men and  spectators  on  the  shore,  which  are  heartily 
answered  from  the  crowded  deck  of  the  ship.  Then 
came  the  usual  trial  to  ascertain  whether  the  vessel 
was  "  crank "  or  "  stiff,"  by  all  on  board  stationing 
themselves  along  the  deck  on  one  side  from  bow  to 
stern,  and  quickly  rushing  across  to  the  other  side, 
then  back  again,  and  so  to  and  fro  for  a  number  of 
times,  rocking  the  ship  like  a  cradle.  The  "  launch- 
ing "  was  a  complete  success,  and  the  "  General 
Grant"  was  pronounced  to  be  "A,  No.  1." 

In  a  few  minutes  the  ship  was  hauled  in  to  the  little 
wharf,  near  the  yard,  and  her  passengers  scrambled 
ashore.  As  soon  as  the  decks  were  cleared,  Colonel 
White  invited  General  Howard  and  the  gentlemen  ac- 
companying him  on  board,  to  examine  the  inside  finish 
of  the  vessel,  which  had  been  most  thoroughly  and 
superbly  accomplished.  In  fact,  she  was  a  ship  worthy 
of  her  name.  While  this  examination  is  progressing, 
we  will  go  with  the  crowd  to  a  field  just  across  the 
road  from  the  shipyard,  to  finish  up  the  sports  of  the 
day  with  a  wrestling  match  —  an  invariable  custom  on 
a  launching  day  at  Harryseekit. 


THE    YOUNG  INVINCIBLES.  247 


CHAPTER   XXIII. 

THE   \VRESTLING   MATCH. 

manner  of  wrestling  on  the  present  occa- 
sion was  to  be  that  variously  styled  "  square- 
hold,"  "  arms'-length,"  "  toe-to-toe,"  &c. ;  that 
is,  the  two  wrestlers  stand  face  to  face,  each  with 
his  right  hand  hold  of  his  opponent's  left  shoulder,  and 
his  left  hand  grasping  tightly  the  right  elbow.  Thus 
firmly  grappled,  each  eadeavors  to  throw  the  other 
upon  his  back  by  dexterously  tripping  at  his  antago- 
nist's feet,  and  at  the  same  moment  suddenly  exerting 
the  strength  of  his  hands  and  arms  in  the  opposite 
direction.  The  rules  of  the  contest  prohibit  the  use 
of  the  arms  without  the  accompanying  "  trip,"  because 
such  a  course  would  invariably  give  the  stronger  party 
the  advantage.  There  is  a  good  deal  of  skill  to  be 
displayed  in  this  mode  of  wrestling,  and  it  is  not 
always  the  stronger  one  of  the  two  that  comes  off 
as  conqueror. 

A  ring  was  soon  formed,  and  two  boys,  about  twelve 


248  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OB 

years  of  age,  were  speedily  contending  for  the  victory. 
The  first  fair  throw  decided  the  question  in  this  case, 
when  the  vanquished  party  or  his  friends  at  once 
selected  another  champion  to  fill  his  place.  Thus  the 
match  went  on,  the  contestants  gradually  increasing  in 
size  and  years. 

Finally,  Tom  Sprightly  was  brought  into  the  ring. 
Tom  was  considered  the  smartest  wrestler  of  his  age 
in  the  whole  town,  and  his  back  seldom,  if  ever, 
touched  the  ground  until  some  one  of  a  man's  size 
and  powers  was  matched  against  him,  who  would  at 
last  cause  him  to  yield  under  a  great  disparity  of 
weight  and  strength. 

On  the  present  occasion  it  seemed  as  if  Tom  was 
to  stand  the  champion  of  the  ring  to  the  last,  for  he 
had  thrown  all  those  of  his  own  age  who  would 
wrestle,  and  a  number  that  were  two  or  three  years 
his  seniors.  At  length  a  great  strapping  fellow,  named 
Jack  Dunham,  twenty  years  of  age,  weighing  one 
hundred  and  eighty  pounds,  was  brought  forward. 
The  best  of  good  nature  had  prevailed  throughout, 
and  as  Tom  now  stepped  forward  to  the  unequal 
contest,  he  laughingly  said,  — 

"  Don't  fall  on  me  too  heavily,  Jack." 

"  I  make  no  promises,"   replied  the  burly  fellow, 


THE    YOUNG  INVINCIBLE S.  249 

who  was  something  of  a  bully,  and  inclined  to  be 
quarrelsome. 

At  this  moment,  and  before  the  wrestlers  had  taken 
hold  of  each  other,  George  Herrick  stepped  quickly  up 
to  his  young  friend,  and  laying  his  hand  on  his  shoul- 
der, said,  in  a  low,  earnest  tone,  — 

"  Tom,  you  had  better  not  wrestle  with  Jack.  You 
know  you  threw  him  about  a  year  ago  —  and  he  has 
never  forgiven  you.  He  has  threatened  since  then, 
that  if  ever  he  got  hold  of  you  again  he  would  break 
some  of  your  bones." 

"  O,"  replied  Tom,  in  the  same  confidential  tone, 
"  I  guess  he  didn't  mean  anything.  He  always  talks 
big.  I  want  to  straighten  him  out  just  once,  George.'' 

"  I'm  afraid  you'll  be  sorry  for  it,  Tom." 

"  Come,  George  Herrick,  what  are  you  interfering 
for?"  said  Jack  Dunham,  impatiently.  "Are  you 
afraid  your  baby  will  get  hurt  ?  " 

"  I  think  Tom  has  wrestled  enough  for  one  day,"  re- 
plied George,  very  calmly,  "  and  I  advise  him  to  stop." 

"  Perhaps  youd  like  to  take  his  place,"  sneered 
Jack. 

"  No  ;  I  never  wrestle,"  responded  George. 

"  And  I'll  wrestle  but  this  once  more  to-day,"  said 
Tom,  as  he  stepped  forward  and  took  hold  of  his 
powerful  opponent. 


250  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 

Contrary  to  all  rule,  Jack  at  once  commenced 
twitching  Tom  violently  about,  wholly  by  the  strength 
of  his  arms,  fairly  lifting  him  clear  from  the  ground, 
and  then  endeavoring  suddenly  to  dash  him  prostrate 
upon  his  back.  But  all  to  no  purpose,  for  Tom  was 
sure  to  baffle  every  such  attempt  by  coming  down  fair 
and  square  upon  his  feet.  Some  of  the  spectators  ex- 
postulated with  Jack  about  his  unfairness  ;  but  he  gave 
no  heed  to  their  remonstrances.  Finally,  having  be- 
come pretty  thoroughly  tired  out  by  his  great  exertions, 
he  desisted  for  a  moment  to  take  breath,  and  allowed 
his  arms  to  relax.  Quick  as  thought  his  wiry  antago- 
nist sprang  in  upon  him,  tripped  him,  threw  him  flat 
upon  his  back,  and  instantly  jumped  out  of  his  reach. 

The  shout  that  went  up  from  the  excited  and  highly- 
gratified  crowd  could  have  been  heard  a  mile  away. 
The  vanquished  wrestler  jumped  to  his  feet,  showing 
much  passion,  and,  with  an  oath,  sprang  towards  Tom. 
But  George  Herrick,  who  had  feared  some  trouble 
from  the  moment  Jack  Dunham  was  brought  into  the 
i  ring,  threw  himself  directly  in  front  of  the  advancing 
bully,  and,  taking  his  young  friend  by  the  shoulder, 
said,  almost  authoritatively,  — 

"  Tom,  we  must  leave." 

"  No,  you  don't,"  said  Jack ;  and  he  attempted  to 
place  his  powerful  hand  on  George's  shoulder. 


THE    YOUNG  INVINCIBLES.  251 

George,  however,  jumped  quickly  to  one  side,  and, 
pushing  Tom  before  him,  was  in  another  instant  well 
in  among  the  crowd.  All  this  was  the  work  of  a 
moment,  and  before  any  one  could  interfere.  George 
very  well  knew  that  Tom  had  many  more  friends 
present  than  Jack  could  claim,  and  was  not  at  all 
fearful  that  he  would  get  hurt ;  but  he  thought  the 
surest  way  of  preventing  a  row  was  to  take  his  young 
friend  out  of  the  way. 

"  Come  back,  you  cowardly  sneaks !  "  shouted  Dun- 
ham. 

But  the  two  lads  continued  to  move  farther  away. 

"  George  Herrick !  "  continued  Jack,  "  come  back 
yourself  and  wrestle,  if  you're  afraid  to  let  Tom. 
come." 

"  I  have  told  you  that  I  never  wrestle,"  replied 
George,  very  calmly. 

"  Come  back  and  fight  me,  then,"  roared  the  bully, 
urged  on  by  a  few  of  his  own  clique. 

"  I  have  less  inclination  to  fight  than  to  wrestle," 
rejoined  George  Herrick,  with  perfect  good  nature.  • 

"  You're  cowardly  dogs  !  "  again  shouted  the  quar- 
relsome fellow.  "  I  should  like  no  better  fun  than  to 
thrash  you  both  at  once." 

"  But  that  would  not  be  very  good  fun  for  us"  re- 
sponded George,  still  in  pleasant  humor. 


252  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 

"  You  are  the  most  contemptible,  cowardly,  sneak- 
ing puppy  I  ever  saw,  G.eorge  Herrick,"  almost 
screamed  young  Dunham,  maddened  beyond  measure 
by  the  other's  perfect  coolness. 

"  I  can't  stand  this  any  longer,"  said  Tom.  "  Let's 
go  back." 

"  No,  no,"  replied  George.  "  It  is  better  to  take  no 
notice  of  the  blackguard's  words." 

"  Say,  Herrick,"  once  more  called  out  Jack,  being 
determined  to  provoke  George  to  anger  by  some 
means,  "  are  you  bound  to  California  to  look  up 
that  nice  father  of  yours  that  ran  away  because  your 
mother  was  no  better  than  she  should  be?" 

"Shame!"  "Shame!"  "Shame!"  resounded  all 
around,  in  tones  that  indicated  no  good  to  young 
Dunham.  But,  in  an  instant,  George  Herrick  was 
seen,  with  a  face  of  frightful  paleness,  tearing  his  way 
through  the  crowd  like  a  roused  lion,  with  Tom  closely 
following,  towards  the  low,  mean  fellow  who  had 
uttered  the  insult  to  his  mother's  name.  Confronting 
the  bully,  with  his  lips  almost  touching  his  face, 
George  spoke  in  subdued,  deliberate,  and  measured 
accents,  that  seemed  to  be  the  very  embodiment  of 
deep  passion  under  the  control  of  a  resolute  and 
powerful  will :  — 

"  Jack  Dunham,  you  might  have  continued  to  heap 


THE   YOUNG  INVINCIBLES.  253 

epithets  upon  me  until  you  were  gray,  without  moving 
my  anger  in  the  least ;  but  listen :  —  When  I  was 
twelve  years  old  I  promised  my  mother,  if  I  lived, 
I  would  be  her  protector.  Now,  detestable  black- 
guard that  you  are,  you  must  instantly  apologize  for 
the  insult  you  have  offered,  or,  by  the  sacredness  of 
that  promise,  I  will  tear  the  confession  from  your  foul 
throat." 

There  was  a  terrible  earnestness  in  the  youth's  words 
and  manner  ;  but  young  Dunham  was  a  fighting  char- 
acter, and  being  three  years  older,  and  some  fifty 
pounds  heavier,  than  George  Herrick,  he  felt  confident 
of  an  easy  victory  over  him,  and  consequently  replied, 
contemptuously,  — 

"Apologize  to  you,  boy?  I'll  give  you  an  apology 
that  you  won't  forget  in  a  hurry  ;  "  and  he  sprang  upon 
and  grappled  his  lighter  antagonist  with  a  might 
that  seemed  to  threaten  almost  instant  annihilation. 
George's  friends  trembled  for  his  safety,  as  they  saw 
him  thus  in  the  grasp  of  the  stalwart  bully.  But  it 
was  at  once  evident  that  George  Herrick's  close  and 
compact  form  contained  a  muscular  power  and  a 
nervous  elasticity  that  would  prove  a  full  equivalent 
for  the  other's  superior  size,  and  slower,  though  greater, 
strength.  After  a  moment  or  two  of  fierce  struggle, 
locked  tightly  in  each  other's  arms,  George  suddenly 


254  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 

lifted  his  burly  antagonist  from  his  feet,  gave  him  a 
quick  whirl,  and  brought  him  to  his  back  on  the 
ground  with  such  force  as  nearly  drove  the  breath 
from  his  body,  and  caused  him  to  break  the  bear-like 
hug  with  which  he  had  enclosed  him  in  the  first 
grapple. 

Quick  as  thought  George  now  planted  one  knee 
upon  his  fallen  foe's  breast,  crowded  his  left  hand  hard 
upon  his  throat,  and,  with  his  right  arm  uplifted,  again 
called  upon  him  to  take  back  the  insulting  words.  But 
Jack  had  caught  sight  of  the  end  of  his  antagonist's 
neck-tie,  which  was  a  strong,  double,  black  ribbon,  put 
loosely  round  his  neck,  and  clutching  it  with  both 
hands,  he  began  twisting  it  violently.  George  felt  the 
band  rapidly  tightening  about  his  throat,  and  endeav- 
ored to  unclinch  the  fellow's  fingers ;  but  they  were  as 
firm  as  the  jaws  of  a  vice.  George  was  beginning  to 
turn  purple  in  the  face.  The  bystanders  now  discov- 
ered how  matters  stood,  and  thought  it  time  to  inter- 
fere. But  Tom  Sprightly  was  the  first  to  spring  to 
the  rescue,  exclaiming,  — 

"  The  villain  will  strangle  him  !  " 

George  Herrick,  however,  had  not  lost  his  remark- 
able presence  of  mind,  por  his  power  of  action.  He 
had  thrust  one  hand  again  upon  Jack's  throat,  to  see 
what  effect  that  would  have,  and  with  the  other  he 


THE    YOUNG   INV1NCIBLES.  255 

motioned  Tom  away,  for  he  could  not  speak.  Then 
instantly  clapping  his  hand  into  his  vest  pocket,  he 
took  out  his  knife,  opened  it  with  his  teeth,  slipped  it 
down  the  back  of  his  neck,  and  cut  the  ribbon  in  two  — 
though  it  was  girted  in  so  closely  that  he  cut  the  skin 
as  well.  He  was  now  free,  and  jumped  quickly  to  his 
feet,  leaving  his  severed  neck-tie  in  the  hands  of  his 
baffled  enemy. 

'  Jack  also  sprang  to  his  feet,  and  the  two  stood  again 
face  to  face,  looking  each  other  unflinchingly  in  the 
eye.  In  the  aspect  of  George  were  plainly  written 
the  unbending  determination  and  undying  resolve  to 
"fight  it  out  on  this  line  if  it  takes  all  summer,"  while 
on  the  part  of  the  other  was  manifest  a  brute  stub- 
bornness, mingled  with  towering  passion  and  burning 
shame,  which  evidently  sought  deep  revenge.  As 
George  closed  his  knife,  and  returned  it  leisurely  to 
his  pocket,  while  the  blood  was  seen  slowly  trickling 
round  on  either  side  of  his  neck  from  the  slight  wound 
he  had  given  himself,  he  said  to  his  antagonist,  in  his 
usual  calm  and  deliberate  way,  — 

"  Jack  Dunham,  I  should  prefer  that  this  unhappy 
affair  might  end  just  where  it  is.  One  word  from  you 
will  do  it.  Take  back  the  insulting  language." 

"  Never  !  "  was  the  dogged  reply. 

"  Then,  by  the  fair  fame  of  that  dear  mother  whom 


256  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 

you  have  so  grossly  vilified,"  rejoined  George,  in  low, 
deep  tones,  "  I  will  grind  the  confession  from  your 
lubberly  bones." 

He  made  a  step  or  two  backwards,  caught  the  front 
parts  of  his  loose  sack-coat  in  either  hand,  and  threw 
both  arms  back  in  the  act  of  slipping  it  from  his 
shoulders,  as  he  had  found  it  in  his  way  during  the 
previous  contest.  His  unprincipled  antagonist,  who 
had  been  waiting  for  an  advantage,  instantly  sprang 
forward,  and  attempted  to  deal  George  a  heavy  blow  in 
the  face  while  his  arms  were  thus  entangled  in  his 
coat.  But  at  the  moment  the  blow  was  about  to  fall, 
Jack  found  both  his  arms  brought  suddenly  to  his  sides 
from  behind,  and  pinioned  there  as  if  by  bands  of  un- 
yielding iron.  Colonel  "White's  son  Mark,  a  man  in 
the  prime  of  life,  standing  six  feet  two,  and  stout  in 
proportion,  had  seen  the  cowardly  movement  in  season 
to  spring  forward  and  wind  his  powerful  arms  around 
young  Dunham. 

"  Coward,  as  well  as  blackguard  and  bully !  "  ex- 
claimed Mark  White,  as  he  held  the  young  man  as 
powerless  as  an  infant.  "  Were  it  not  for  the  satisfac- 
tion of  seeing  George  Herrick  punish  you  as  you 
deserve,  which  I  know  full  well  he  will  do,  I  would 
give  you  one  such  hug  as  would  bring  all  your  ribs 
together,  and  press  the  very  breath  from  your  body." 


THR    BULLY    PUNISHED PAGE  257. 


THE    YOUNG   INVISIBLES.  257 

George  had  freed  himself  of  his  coat,  and  rolled  his 
shirt-sleeves  above  his  elbows,  exposing  an  arm  that 
called  forth  remark  from  all  that  stood  near  him,  for  it 
seemed  to  be  a  compact  mass  of  nerve  and  sinew. 

"  There,  go  —  and  meet  your  reward,"  continued 
Mr.  White,  releasing  young  Dunham  from  his  close 
confinement.  "  George,  don't  spare  the  detestable 
cub !  " 

But  George  Herrick  was  reasonable  to  the  last. 
Once  more  he  proposed  terms  of  peace. 

"  Jack,  will  you  recant?  " 

"  No,  fool !  "  and  again  he  sprang  forward  to  the 
conflict. 

This  time,  however,  George  was  prepared  for  him, 
and  he  was  met  with  a  quick,  powerful  blow  between 
the  eyes,  that  sent  him  reeling  and  staggering  back, 
and  would  have  caused  the  bully  to  measure  his  length 
upon  the  ground,  had  not  his  few  friends  gathered  up 
so  near  as  to  save  him  from  the  fall. 

"  At  him  again,  Jack,"  they  cried.  "  Give  him  one 
of  your  '  settlers.'  " 

But  the  fellow's  brain  was  evidently  a  little  bewil- 
dered. Perhaps  he  had  a  confused  idea  that  he  had 
been  kicked  by,  a  horse,  and  needed  a  few  moments' 
time  to  measure  the  distance  between  his  head  and  the 
horse's  heels,  for  he  did  not  respond  very  readily  to  his 
17 


258  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 

friends'  urgent  appeals.  George  did  not  follow  up  the 
advantage  he  had  gained,  disdaining  anything  like 
unfairness  even  to  an  unfair  foe,  but  stood  calmly 
awaiting  the  enemy's  next  move,  whatever  it  might  be. 

During  this  momentary  cessation  of  hostilities,  some 
one  shouted  from  the  roadside  near  by,  — 

"  George  !  George  Herrick !  Is  it  possible  that  is 
you  ?  Come  here  —  quick  !  " 

George  knew  the  voice  well  without  even  turning. 

"  Ask  your  father  to  excuse  me  a  few  minutes 
longer,"  said  he  to  Mark  White,  as  that  gentleman 
started  for  the  road. 

"  Stick  to  your  job,  George,  and  finish  it  up," 
replied  Mr.  White.  "  I  will  explain  matters  to 
father  and  his  friends." 

It  was  but  a  few  steps  to  the  fence,  and  as  Mr. 
White  reached  it,  he  found  his  father,  who  had  driven 
close  up  to  it,  leaning  forward  from  the  chaise,  and 
still  calling  and  gesticulating  earnestly  to  George  Her- 
rick. 

"  Don't  get  excited,  father,"  said  Mark.  "  George 
is  doing  well  enough." 

"  Doing  well  enough !  "  repeated  the  old  gentleman, 
excitedly;  "what  do  you  mean?  Here  I  have  been 
praising  him  to  General  Howard  all  day,  and  among 
other  things,  have  said  that  I  never  knew  him  to 


THE   TO  UNO  INVINCIDLES.  259 

quarrel  with  any  other  boy ;  and  here  we  find  him, 
with  the  words  of  praise  scarcely  cold  from  my  lips, 
engaged  in  a  disgraceful  fight."  The  colonel  spoke  in 
a  tone  partaking  both  of  grief  and  bitterness. 

"  Yes,  it  is  a  disgraceful  fight,"  replied  his  son ; 
"  but  the  disgrace  is  wholly  on  one  side.  Father,  you 
would  have  caned  young  Dunham  yourself,  old  and 
forgiving  as  you  are,  if  you  had  heard  the  insulting 
puppy  ;  "  and,  in  few  words,  he  related  the  facts  of  the 
case. 

"  I  knew  the  provocation  must  have  been  very 
great,"  rejoined  Colonel  White.  "  Really,  I  can't 
blame  George." 

"  Blame  him  !  "  responded  General  Howard,  "  who 
could  blame  him  ?  He  is  fighting  in  the  defence  of  his 
mother,  as  you  and  I  have  fought  in  the  defence  of 
our  country.  He  that  would  flinch  in  the  one  case 
would  be  certain  to  prove  craven  in  the  other." 

All  eyes  were  now  directed  to  the  combatants,  as 
the  contest  seemed  about  to  be  renewed.  Jack  Dun- 
ham was  far  from  being  subdued.  The  well-directed 
blow  he  had  received  produced  a  stunning  effect  for  a 
minute  or  two ;  but  he  thought  too  much  of  his  repu- 
tation as  a  great  fighter  to  entertain  for  a  momenl  the 
idea  of  yielding  to  a  lad  three  years  his  junior  and 
of  fifty  pounds  less  weight. 


260  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 

"  Once  more,  and  for  the  last  time,  Jack  Dunham, 
will  you  recall  the  words  you  have  spoken  ?  "  asked 
George,  still  willing  to  end  the  contest  without  more 
blows. 

"  I  tell  you,  No ! "  roared  the  bully.  "  Do  you 
think  I  am  a  little  boy,  to  give  up  for  a  single  chance 
blow  ?  " 

"  Then  I  will  make  the  shortest  possible  work  of 
it,"  cried  the  other ;  and  not  waiting  to  act  on  the 
defensive  this  time,  he  leaped  in  between  Jack's  long, 
powerful  arms,  and  dealt  him  another  of  those  short, 
quick  blows  —  seemingly  from  a  wonderful  spring  in 
the  elbow  —  that  laid  him  his  length  on  the  ground. 
Then  jumping  upon  his  prostrate  form,  he  punished 
him  so  severely  that  he  was  soon  obliged  to  cry  for 
quarter. 

"  Enough  !  enough  !     Let  me  up  !  "  he  bellowed. 

"  That  won't  do,"  returned  George,  determinedly. 
"  You  must  apologize  for  that  base  insinuation,  or  I 
will  hold  you  here  fast  till  the  crows  pick  the  bones  of 
both  of  us." 

"  I  was  wrong,"  cried  the  now  completely  sub- 
dued bully.  "I  take  back  what  I  said  about  your 
mother." 

"  All  right,"  said  George.  "  I  ask  nothing  more  ;  " 
and  jumping  to  his  feet,  he  slipped  on  his  coat,  which 


THE    70UNG   INVINCIBLES.  261 

Tom  Sprightly  was  holding,  and  quickly  made  his 
way,  without  exchanging  a  word  with  any  one,  to 
Colonel  White's  carriage. 

"Have  I  done  wrong?"  he  asked,  as  he  grasped 
the  colonel's  hand,  which  was  extended  to  him. 

"  I  am  sorry  that  the  circumstances  required  you  to 
punish  the  vulgar  fellow,"  replied  the  old  gentleman ; 
"  but  —  but  —  but  Tm  glad  you  did  it  !  " 

George's  countenance  brightened  a  little. 

"  And  what  will  my  mother  say  about  the  affair, 
think  you?  " 

"  She  will  thank  Heaven  for  having  so  brave  a 
defender,"  promptly  replied  General  Howard.  "  I 
can  answer  for  her.  —  Come,  jump  right  into  the 
chaise.  "We  can  make  room  for  a  '  conqueror '  — 
can't  we,  colonel  ?  " 

"  By  all  means,"  replied  the  old  gentleman,  "  if  you 
desire  it.  —  Come,  George,  jump  in." 

"  I  thank  you,  gentlemen,  but  you  will  please  ex- 
cuse me,  for  my  clothing  is  somewhat  bloody  from  this 
scratch  on  my  neck.  Besides,  my  friend  Tom,  here, 
expects  my  company  home.  I  think  I  will  walk." 

"  Well,  then,"  said  General  Howard,  warmly  grasp- 
ing the  youth's  hand,  "  I  will  bid  you  good  by,  hoping 
we  may  soon  meet  again.  Do  not  let  this  personal 
encounter,  which  you  could  not  honorably  avoid,  mar 


262  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 

the  pleasurable  recollections  of  this  otherwise  happy 
day.  I  shall  long  remember  the  enjoyment  of  these 
few  hours  spent  in  Harryseekit ;  and  to  your  conduct, 
throughout,  I  am  indebted  for  much  of  that  enjoyment. 
Farewell." 

The  brave  soldier  and  Christian  gentleman  was 
obliged  to  hurry  away  to  the  railroad  station,  for  five 
o'clock  was  drawing  near.  The  crowd  dispersed,  and 
George  and  Tom  walked  leisurely  homeward.  But  all 
the  wit  and  humor  of  the  latter  could  not  remove  the 
oppression  that  weighed  upon  his  companion's  mind. 
It  was  his  first  combat,  and  though  in  a  just  cause, 
still  he  sincerely  hoped  it  might  be  his  last.  No  one, 
however,  can  read  futurity. 

When  George  reached  home,  his  mother  threw  her 
arms  about  his  neck,  exclaiming,  — 

"  My  dear  boy,  Colonel  White  has  told  me  all.  You 
need  not  say  one  word  about  it,  for  I  know  it  would  be 
unpleasant  to  you  ; "  and  she  kissed,  with  affection  and 
pride,  the  high,  broad  forehead  of  her  young  and  brave 
defender. 

"Was  Lizzie  Swift  present  when  Colonel  White 
related  the  unhappy  occurrence  ?  "  asked  George. 

"  She  was." 

"And  what  did  she  say?" 


THE    YOUNG   IXVINCIBLES.  263 

" '  Mrs.  Herrick,  you  have  a  noble  protector  in 
George.'  " 

"  Mother,  the  recollection  of  the  affair  has  weighed 
heavily  upon  me  all  the  way  home.  But  I  will  try  to 
forget  it." 

Had  Lizzie's  words  removed  part  of  the  weight? 


264:  PATRIOTISM   AT  HOME,    OR 


CHAPTER    XXIV. 

CRAZY  PHILIP. 

E  first  time  that  Jack  Dunham  showed  him- 
self at  the  Corner  after  the  day  that  he  re- 
ceived his  well-merited  chastisement  at  the 
hands  of  George  Herrick,  he  was  encountered  and 
severely  talked  to  by  Philip  Dillaway,  a  man  subject  to 
frequent  fits  of  insanity,  but  who,  on  this  occasion,  was 
perfectly  sane. 

He  met  young  Dunham  in  the  public  square  of  the 
village,  and  seizing  him  by  the  collar,  with  an  iron 
grasp,  he  held  him  securely  for  the  space  of  fifteen  or 
twenty  minutes,  and  lectured  him  in  a  manner  that 
called  forth  shouts  of  approbation  from  all  who  heard 
him,  whilst  the  severity  of  his  language  was  such  as  to 
cause  the  young  bully  fairly  to  wince  under  its  scathing 
effect.  He  finally  wound  up  by  telling  Jack,  if  he  dared 
to  show  himself  again  at  the  Corner,  he  would  not 
escape  the  next  time  with  mere  words,  as  he  would 


THE    YOUNG  INVINCIBLES.  265 

have  him  arrested  and  sent  to  prison  as  ail  irf  ,,  quar- 
relsome vagabond. 

Jack  was  so  much  alarmed  at  the  threats  uttered  by 
Philip  Dillaway  —  fearing,  undoubtedly,  that  when  one 
of  his  crazy  fits  came  upon  him  he  might  do  him  some 
great  bodily  injury  —  that  he  left  the  village  that  very 
night,  for  parts  unknown,  under  circumstances  to  be 
hereafter  related. 

The  good  citizens  of  Harryseekit  were  very  much 
surprised  at  the  severity  and  length  of  the  reproof 
given  to  young  Dunham  by  Crazy  Philif ,  because  it 
was  so  contrary  to  his  usual  custom.  For  years  he 
had  been  extremely  taciturn  when  in  his  right  mind, 
scarcely  ever  speaking  to  any  one  unless  he  was  first 
spoken  to,  and  seeming  to  labor  under  continual  de- 
pression of  spirits  on  account  of  his  great  misfortune. 

But  Philip  had  good  reasons  for  entertaining  the 
best  of  feelings  towards  Colonel  White  and  his  family, 
and  he  was  particularly  friendly  to  Mrs.  Herrick  and 
George,  both  of  whom  had  ever  treated  him  with  the 
greatest  kindness  and  delicacy  on  account  of  his 
terrible  affliction.  Hence,  when  he  heard  of  the  in- 
sulting language  made  use  of  by  Jack  Dunham  con- 
cerning Mrs.  Herrick,  and  of  his  forcing  George  into 
a  quarrel  with  him,  it  aroused  his  indignation  to  such 
an  extent  as  to  cause  him  to  break  through  his  usual 


266  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,   OR 

reserve,  in  the  manner  stated,  in  defence  of  his  friends  ; 
and  he  proved  himself  to  be  a  most  effective  champion 
in  this  case,  as  he  fairly  frightened  the  low,  quarrel- 
some fellow  out  of  the  place. 

Philip  Dillaway,  or  "  Crazy  Philip,"  was  one  of  those 
unfortunate  beings,  frequently  met  with  in  a  commu- 
nity, who  are  deprived  of  reason  by  the  heavy  hand  of 
disease.  He  was  at  this  time  about  thirty-five  years 
of  age,  and  had  been  subject  to  periods  of  lunacy  for 
more  than  ten  years.  He  was  remarkably  bright 
•when  a  boy,  and  an  excellent  scholar.  Before  he  was 
twenty,  he  was  engaged  as  teacher  of  one  of  the  vil- 
lage schools,  which  situation  he  continued  to  hold, 
year  after  year,  until  violent  convulsive  fits  became  so 
frequent  with  him  as  to  render  it  wholly  unsafe  to 
retain  him  any  longer  in  that  responsible  situation. 

These  fits  increased  in  frequency  and  violence  until 
it  was  noticed  that  the  young  man's  reason  was  slightly 
affected  for  a  day  or  two  after  the  convulsions  passed 
away ;  and  then  he  would  seem  to  be  in  the  perfect 
possession  of  all  his  faculties  until  again  stricken  down 
by  another  fit.  But  these  terrible  convulsions  finally 
proved  too  much  for  the  unfortunate  young  man's 
reason ;  and  on  a  still  Sabbath  morning  in  the  month 
of  June,  just  as  the  village  bell  was  calling  the  good 
people  to  their  places  of  worship,  Main  Street,  on 


THE   YOUNG   INVINCIBLES.  267 

which  the  Dillaway  family  lived,  was  thrown  into  great 
commotion  by  Philip,  who  was  seen  rushing  through 
the  street,  without  coat  or  hat,  pointing  and  looking  up 
to  the  heavens,  shouting  loud  and  wildly  as  he  ran, 
and  quoting  passages  from  the  twelfth  chapter  of  Rev- 
elation, concerning  the  doings  of  the  "  Great  Red 
Dragon."  Women  and  children  fled,  screaming,  in  all 
directions ;  but  the  crazy  man  made  no  attempt  to 
molest  any  one,  until  some  of  the  men  in  the  street, 
seeing  his  father  and  two  younger  brothers  in  pursuit, 
attempted  to  stop  him,  when  he  scattered  them  as  if 
they  had  been  men  of  straw,  and  continued  on  his 
way.  The  crowd  increased  both  in  his  front  and  rear, 
and  numerous  attempts  were  made  by  powerful  men  to 
arrest  his  course ;  but,  with  a  giant's  strength,  he 
knocked  them  this  way  and  that,  as  if  they  had  been 
mere  toys,  and  continued  his  career. 

Finally,  two  or  three  strong  men  came  up  behind 
him,  and  grappled  him  at  the  same  moment,  and  suc- 
ceeded in  detaining  him  till  more  help  reached  them, 
when,  by  overwhelming  weight  and  numbers,  the  poor 
lunatic  was  dragged  to  the  ground,  secured  hand  and 
foot  by  ropes,  and  borne  bodily  back  to  his  home, 
ragged,  bruised,  and  bloody,  still  shouting  passages  of 
Scripture,  and  followed  by  his  poor  old  mother,  crying 


268  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OB 

and  begging  of  the  men  to  be  careful  not  to  hurt  her 
poor,  unfortunate  boy. 

On  reaching  the  house,  he  was  secured  in  a  strong, 
old-fashioned  arm-chair ;  and  the  doctor,  being  called 
in,  succeeded  in  opening  a  vein  in  his  arm,  by  which 
means  his  strength  was  soon  reduced,  and  he  became 
more  quiet ;  but  his  friends  did  not  dare  to  release  him, 
for  a  number  of  days,  until  they  were  fully  convinced 
that  he  was  perfectly  sane. 

The  next  month,  and  the  next,  similar  scenes  were 
enacted  —  the  poor  maniac  inflicting  and  receiving 
much  bodily  injury.  Colonel  White  endeavored  to 
impress  upon  Philip's  own  folks  and  their  neighbors, 
at  the  outset,  that  they  were  pursuing  the  wrong 
course.  He  insisted  that  they  should  humor  his 
whims  as  far  as  practicable ;  that  he  would,  if  not 
opposed,  do  nothing  more  than  run  up  and  down  the 
street  and  shout  his  Scripture  texts  ;  that  if  allowed  to 
have  his  own  way,  so  long  as  he  molested  no  one,  he 
would  much  sooner  become  calm ;  and  that  all  the 
cruelty  necessitated  by  the  present  course  would  be 
thus  avoided. 

Philip  was  a  great  reader  of  the  Bible,  and  when 
his  crazy  fits  were  upon  him  he  used  Bible  language 
pretty  much  altogether  —  sometimes  quoting  verse 
after  verse,  at  other  times  repeating  over  and  over 


THE    YOUNG    INVINCIBLES.  269 

again  the  same  verse,  and  again  making  some  single 
clause  answer  his  whole  purpose. 

It  was  not  long  before  Colonel  White  had  an  oppor- 
tunity to  test  his  theory  with  regard  to  the  management 
of  Crazy  Philip.  On  his  way  down  to  the  Corner  one 
day,  when  near  Mr.  Dillaway's  house,  he  saw  Philip 
in  the  street,  running  up  and  down,  shouting  lustily, 
with  a  crowd  of  men  closing  in  around  him  preparatory 
to  seizing  and  securing  him.  In  this  instance  he  did 
not  seem  inclined  to  run  away,  but  would  seize  first 
one  and  then  another  by  the  arm,  as  if  he  wished  them 
to  accompany  him  somewhere.  As  the  colonel  drew 
nearer,  he  understood  the  lunatic's  shout,  which  was 
—  "  Compel  them  to  come  in !  —  Compel  them  to 
come  in ! " 

Colonel  White  walked  directly  up  to  the  crazy  man, 
who  instantly  seized  him  by  the  arm,  shouting,  "  Com- 
pel them  to  come  in ! "  Instead  of  struggling,  as 
others  had  done,  to  get  away  from  him,  the  colonel 
yielded  at  once,  saying,  "  Yes,  Philip,  I  will  come  in 
with  you ;  "  and  immediately  walked  along  with  him 
towards  the  house. 

"  Compel  them  to  come  in  !  "  repeated  the  lunatic, 
looking  over  his  shoulder  at  the  crowd  in  the  street. 

"  Follow  us  into  the  house,"  said  the  old  gentleman 
to  the  neighbors ;  and  they  all  complied  immediately. 


270  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 

As  soon  as  Philip  saw  that  the  crowd  was  following, 
he  smiled,  and  said,  — 

"  The  wedding  is  ready,  but  they  which  were  bidden 
were  not  worthy." 

"  So  you  wanted  to  '  compel  them  to  come  in '  to 
the  wedding  —  did  you,  Philip?"  inquired  Colonel 
White. 

"Go  ye  therefore  into  the  highways,  and  as  many 
as  ye  shall  find,  bid  to  the  marriage,"  was  the  scrip- 
tural reply  of  Crazy  Philip,  as  they  all  entered  the 
house.  The  lunatic  was  now  apparently  calm,  and, 
having  accomplished  his  object  of  procuring  guests  to 
the  imaginary  wedding,  he  appeared  perfectly  satisfied. 
Looking  around  the  room,  with  a  smile  upon  his  coun- 
tenance, he  continued,  — 

"  So  those  servants  went  out  into  the  highways,  and 
gathered  together  all,  as  many  as  they  found,  both 
bad  and  good ;  and  the  wedding  was  furnished  with 
guests." 

There  was  no  more  trouble  with  Philip  on  that 
occasion,  and  consequently  all  were  convinced  that 
Colonel  White  had  the  right  idea  as  to  the  proper 
manner  of  treating  him.  This  humane  system  was 
adopted  ;  and  in  less  than  a  year  there  was  scarcely  a 
child  in  the  village  that  entertained  any  fear  of  Crazy 
Philip,  whereas  the  whole  neighborhood  had  been 


THE    YOUNG   INVINCIBLES.  271 

subjected  to  a  state  of  terror  during  all  the  time  that 
the  harsh  and  cruel  treatment  was  continued. 

And  thus  the  poor  lunatic  had  gone  on,  year  after 
year,  for  ten  long  years,  up  to  the  present  time,  his 
crazy  fits  occurring  once  a  month,  and  usually  contin- 
uing four  or  five  days  in  succession  ;  but  he  had  never 
injured  any  human  being  after  his  friends  adopted 
Colonel  White's  humane  recommendation. 

He  would  neither  eat  nor  sleep  in  any  house,  how- 
ever, during  his  terms  of  insanity.  His  mother  soon 
discovered  that  he  entered  the  house  in  the  night  time, 
and  took  away  food  ;  and  a  particular  door  was  ever 
after  left  in  such  a  way  that  he  could  enter  and  leave 
the  house  at  pleasure.  During  his  crazy  freaks  he 
often  wandered  to  the  woods,  where  he  would  remain 
several  days  at  a  time,  visiting  his  father's  house  at 
night  for  food ;  and  when  his  insane  fits  subsided,  he 
invariably  returned  to  his  home  and  his  bed  while  the 
family  slept. 


272  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 


CHAPTER    XXV. 

"  FIRE  !     FIRE  !  !     FIRE  ! !  I " 

)HE  evening  of  the  day  on  which  Philip  Dil- 
laway  so  severely  lectured  Jack  Dunham  for 
his  gross  insult  to  the  fair  fame  of  Mrs. 
Herrick,  and  for  his  unprovoked  attack  upon  George, 
was  occupied  by  the  latter  and  his  friend  Tom,  up 
to  a  late  hour,  in  talking  over  the  somewhat  excit- 
ing events  of  the  past  few  days,  and  finally  by  set- 
tling down  upon  Crazy  Philip's  strange  encounter  with 
Jack  in  the  village  square. 

"  It  seems  so  queer  that  Phil  should  take  it  into 
his  head  to  lecture  Jack ! "  said  Tom,  in  reply  to  a 
remark  by  George.  "  I  really  believe  he  must  have 
been  about  half  crazy,  or  he  never  would  have  talked 
so  long  as  he  did  to-day.  It's  about  time  for  him 
to  have  one  of  his  wild  freaks." 

"  Crazy  or  not,"  responded  George,  "  he  gave  Jack 
a  first-rate  dressing  down,  and  I  hope  it  will  do  him 
good." 


THE   YOUNG  INVINCIBLE S.  273 

"  I  think  your  '  dressing  down '  will  do  him  the 
most  good,"  said  Tom,  dryly. 

"  I  don't  know  about  that,  Tom.  As  a  general 
thing,  I  believe  fighting  has  a  bad  effect  upon  all 
concerned." 

"  Perhaps  you  don't  believe  in  fighting  the  rebels, 
Mr.  Non-resistant  ?  " 

"  The  country  was  obliged  to  take  up  arms,  in 
self-defence,"  replied  George. 

"  And  you  were  obliged  to  take  up  '  fisticuffs '  in 
defence  of  your  mother.  O,  George,  I  wish  I  had  a 
mother  to  fight  for !  But  as  I  have  not,  I  will  yet 
fight  for  my  country." 

"  Not  for  the  sake  of  fighting,  though,  Tom,  but 
for  the  justness  of  the  cause  —  I  know  your  heart 
well  enough  for  that,  my  boy ; "  and  George  noticed 
a  tear  in  his  companion's  eye. 

Our  two  stanch  young  friends  said  good  night,  and 
as  the  village  clock  tolled  off  the  hour  of  eleven,  Tom 
started  for  home,  leaving  George  to  bestow  himself 
quietly  in  bed,  where  he  was  soon  fast  asleep,  the 
evening  having  been  spent  in  his  bedroom.  When 
Tom  was  about  half  way  home,  he  met  Philip  Dil- 
laway  on  the  run.  His  mutterings  to  himself  told  the 
youth  that  his  crazy  fit  was  upon  him. 

"Why,  Philip,  where  are  you  going  at  this  time 
18 


274  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,   OR 

of  night  ?  "  said  Tom.  "  Come,  go  back  home  with 
me  —  won't  you  ?  " 

The  crazy  man  dashed  to  the  opposite  side  of  the 
street,  exclaiming,  — 

"  Flee  from  the  wrath  to  come !  Flee  from  the 
wrath  to  come  !  " 

Tom  knew  it  was  useless,  as  well  as  dangerous,  to 
attempt  any  force  in  the  case,  and  as  the  unfortunate 
lunatic  kept  on  his  way  up  the  street,  the  lad  contin- 
ued his  walk  homeward,  and  a  few  minutes  more 
found  him  in  bed.  He  felt  little  inclination  to  sleep, 
however.  His  thoughts  seemed  determined  to  follow 
Crazy  Philip. 

Some  few  minutes  before  twelve  o'clock,  George 
Herrick  was  suddenly  aroused  from  his  sound  sleep 
by  a  loud  knocking  upon  his  bedroom  door,  accom- 
panied by  Uncle  Bill's  well-known  voice,  — 

"  Turn  out  —  quick,  George,  quick!  The  colonel's 
barn  is  all  in  a  blaze  ! " 

The  youth  was  wide  awake  in  a  moment.  He 
sprang  from  the  bed,  slipped  on  his  pants,  stuck  his 
feet  into  his  slippers,  and  c'aught  his  cap  from  its 
usual  hook  in  the  entry  as  he  rushed  along  and  out 
at  the  back  door. 

"  Fire  !  fire  ! !  fire  ! ! !  "  he  cried,  at  the  top  of  his 
lungs,  as  he  ran  across  the  corner  of  the  orchard, 


THE    YOUNG   INVINCIBLES.  275 

leaving  Uncle  Bill  to  finish  the  work  of  arousing  the 
inmates  of  both  houses. 

George  was  the  first  to  reach  the  barn.  The  fire 
had  already  burst  through  the  roof  at  the  eastern, 
corner,  and  he  saw  at  a  glance  that  the  building 
could  not  be  saved.  Picking  up  a  stone,  at  a  single 
blow  he  shivered  the  padlock  that  fastened  the  door 
at  the  side  of  the  barn  where  the  horses  and  cow 
were  kept,  and  instantly  drove  the  latter  into  the 
yard.  Returning,  he  led  Old  Noll  to  a  place  of  safety, 
and  then  ran  back  for  Dancing  Jim.  Loosing  the 
"halter,  and  speaking  soothingly  to  the  young  horse, 
George  endeavored  to  lead  him  from  the  burning 
building.  But  the  place  was  now  oppressively  hot, 
and  full  of  fierce,  bright  flame.  The  animal  snorted, 
held  back,  reared  and  plunged,  but  absolutely  refused 
to  leave  his  perilous  position. 

Colonel  White,  Uncle  Bill,  and  a  few  of  the  nearest 
neighbors  were  now  on  the  ground,  and  the  colonel 
called  loudly  to  George  to  come  out  of  the  dangerous 
building,  and  leave  the  horse  to  his  fate. 

"In  a  moment,"  said' George;  and  seizing  a  small 
horse-blanket  that  was  at  hand,  he  threw  it  over  the 
animal's  head  in  such  a  manner  as  to  completely 
shield  his  eyes  from  the  dazzling  light  of  the  fire, 
passed  the  halter  round  it  to  keep  it  in  place,  spoke 


276  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 

a  few  gentle  words  to  the  now  quiet  horse,  and  led 
him  out  into  the  open  air  without  further  difficulty. 

"  George,"  said  the  colonel,  "  your  presence  of 
mind  has  saved  Dancing  Jim's  life.  I  shall  not  for- 
get it." 

But  it  was  no  time  for  a  reply  from  George,  for 
the  fire  was  rapidly  shooting  forth  its  forked  tongues 
along  the  dry,  shingled  roof  of  the  barn,  towards  the 
carriage-house  and  wood-shed,  which  connected  with 
the  dwelling-house,  and  if  the  wind  should  spring  up 
from  the  north  or  east,  the  latter  building,  even, 
could  scarcely  be  saved.  There  were  now,  probably, 
twenty-five  men  and  boys  assembled  at  the  fire,  Tom 
Sprightly  being  one  of  the  number,  his  sleepless  mood 
and  nimble  feet  having  enabled  him  to  be  among  the 
first  from  any  considerable  distance  who  reached  the 
scene. 

There  was  a  fire-engine  at  the  Corner ;  but  as 
nearly  all  the  regular  firemen  had  long  since  enlisted 
for  the  war,  there  was  some  considerable  delay  be- 
fore the  machine  reached  the  scene  of  the  conflagra- 
tion. In  the  mean  time  the  neighbors  worked  with 
a  will.  There  was  not  one  among  the  number  who 
was  not  ready  to  risk  life  and  limb,  if  necessary,  in 
behalf  of  Colonel  White. 

The  colonel  was  remarkably  cool  and  collected,  and 


THE    YOUNG  INVINCIBLES.  277 

gave  directions  with  regard  to  the  management  of 
the  fire  with  calmness  and  good  judgment.  The  barn 
was  connected  with  the  carriage-house  by  a  broad, 
wooden  platform,  extending  to  the  second  story  of 
the  latter  building,  with  a  door  at  either  end,  and 
being  sufficiently  elevated  for  a  large  gate  to  swing 
beneath  it.  No  attempt  was  made  to  save  the  barn ; 
its  destruction, was  inevitable;  but  before  the  fire  ex- 
tended to  that  portion  of  it  nearest  the  other  build- 
ing, this  large  gate  and  platform  were  pulled  down 
and  wholly  cleared  away? 

Tom  Sprightly,  who  was  as  sure-footed  as  a  cat, 
now  mounted  the  roof  of  the  carriage-house,  and 
spread  blankets  and  woollen  carpets,  which  were 
passed  up  to  him,  over  the  entire  end  of  the  build- 
ing nearest  the  fire ;  and  these  being  kept  contin- 
ually saturated  with  water  from  the  never-failing  well 
close  at  hand,  together  with  the  fact  that  the  slight 
air  stirring  was  from  a  favorable  quarter,  fortunately 
confined  the  fire  to  the  barn  itself.  And  when  the 
engine  finally  ai'rived,  the  building  was  a  heap  of 
ruins ;  but  further  danger  was  at  an  end. 

Soon  after  Tom  ascended  the  roof,  and  commenced 
his  dangerous  labors,  he  cried  out,  — 

"  Some  of  you  see  who  this  fellow  is  skulking 
among  the  apple  trees  ! "  He  indicated  the  direction. 


278  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,   OR 

George  Herrick  and  two  or  three  others  instantly 
rushed  through  the  gateway  between  the  fire  and  the 
carriage-house,  and  were  just  in  season  to  see  Crazy 
Philip  running  with  the  speed  of  a  race-horse  across 
the  lower  part  of  the  orchard,  in  the  direction  of  the 
bridge,  and  to  hear,  in  his  peculiar  tones,  — 

"  The  young  Philistine  came  with  his  midnight 
torch  to  consume  the  house  of  the  righteous  !  He 
shall  be  pursued  even  unto  the  ends  of  the  earth, 
and  destroyed  totally  !  " 

Pursuit  was  considered  useless ;  and  as  George  and 
his  companions  returned,  and  reported  what  they  had 
seen  and  heard,  many  believed,  and  some  few  said, 
that  Crazy  Philip  must  have  set  fire  to  the  barn. 
Colonel  White,  however,  would  not  for  a  moment 
entertain  such  a  thought.  He  would  as  soon  believe, 
he  said,  that  one  of  his  own  family  had  been  guilty 
of  the  deed. 

The  engine  had  now  been  playing  with  good  effect 
for  some  little  time  upon  the  smouldering  ruins,  and 
there  seemed  to  be  not  much  more  work  for  willing 
hands  to  do.  George  and  Tom,  with  two  or  three 
other  members  of  the  Invincibles,  had  volunteered 
to  keep  guard  over  the  premises  till  daylight,  and 
the  neighbors  were  about  to  disperse,  after  having 
received  the  hearty  thanks  of  the  colonel  and  his 


THE    YOUNG   INVINCIBLES.  279 

family,  when  Mark  White  drove  up  to  the  house, 
his  horse  fairly  reeking  from  hard  driving.  He  lived 
at  a  distance  of  three  miles  from  his  father's.  A 
fire  was  an  unusual  occurrence  in  Harryseekit,  and 
hence  people  came  from  remote  parts  of  the  town  to 
ascertain  who  the  sufferers  were.  Mr.  White  was 
confident,  soon  after  leaving  home,  that  the  fire  was 
near  his  father's  house.  Consequently  he  spared  not 
his  horse. 

"  Well,  father,  so  the  old  barn  is  gone,"  said  Mark, 
as  he  grasped  the  old  gentleman's  hand ;  "  but  we 
should  be  thankful  the  fire  was  no  more  disastrous. 
When  I  was  on  Beech  Hill  I  thought  house,  barn, 
and  all  were  in  flames." 

"Yes,  Mark,  we  have  much  to  be  thankful  for," 
replied  the  colonel.  "  The  barn  was  an  old  compan- 
ion of  mine,  it  is  true,  and  I  shall  miss  it ;  but  then 
it  gives  me  an  opportunity  to  build  a  better  one  for 
somebody's  benefit." 

"Have  you  any  clew  to  the  origin  of  the  fire?" 
inquired  the  son. 

"  It  is  all  a  mystery,"  the  old  gentleman  answered. 

Tom  Sprightly  now  mentioned  the  circumstance  of 
his  having  met  Crazy  Philip  when  he  was  on  his  way 
home  from  Mrs.  Herrick's,  and  George  related  what 
he  and  others  had  seen  and  heard  in  the  orchard. 


280  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 

Mark  White  was  then  asked  if  he  thought  the  un- 
fortunate maniac  was  the  author  of  the  fire. 

"  No,  no,"  replied  that  gentleman,  emphatically. 
"  But  let  me  tell  you  whom  I  think  I  have  seen  since 
I  left  home.  Just  this  side  of  Beech  Hill  I  met  some 
one  on  the  full  run  who  looked  precisely  like  Jack 
Dunham.  Not  fifty  rods  behind  him  came  Crazy 
Philip,  dashing  over  the  road  at  his  greatest  speed, 
and  crying  out  as  he  ran,  'The  young  Philistine 
shall  be  pursued  to  the  ends  of  the  earth.' " 

"  Are  you  sure,  Mark,  it  was  Jack  Dunham  ? " 
asked  Colonel  White. 

"  No,  father ;  I  am  only  sure  it  looked  precisely 
like  him.  I  should  not  be  much  afraid,  however,  to 
take  my  oath  that  it  was  he." 

"  Strange  !  "  mused  the  old  gentleman. 

Taking  all  the  circumstances  into  consideration,  it 
is  not  at  all  surprising  that  the  suspicion  was  trans- 
ferred from  the  poor  lunatic  to  the  unprincipled 
bully,  nor  that  the  theory  was  at  once  entertained 
that  Philip  had  been  keeping  watch  upon  Jack's 
movements,  and  although  not  in  season  to  prevent 
him  from  burning  the  barn,  that  he  had  followed  up 
his  impressive  lecture  by  driving  the  incendiary  from 
the  place. 

The  kind  neighbors  now  returned  to  their  homes, 


THE   TO  UNO  INVINCIBLES.  281 

George  and  his  companions  kept  up  a  faithful  watch, 
and  all  was  quiet  in  Harryseekit  for  the  remainder 
of  the  night. 

The  very  next  day  Colonel  White  commenced  prep- 
arations for  rebuilding  his  barn,  and  pushed  the  work 
ahead  with  his  characteristic  energy.  After  the  usual 
lapse  of  time,  Crazy  Philip  returned  to  his  home ;  but 
if  he  knew  aught  of  Jack  Dunham's  whereabouts,  the 
secret  remained  securely  locked  in  his  own  breast. 


282  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

THE  INVINCIBLES   SHOW  FIGHT. 

S  the  spring  of  1863  advanced,  the  patriotic 
Young  Invincibles  became  more  and  more 
interested  in  their  military  exercises,  feeling 
a  laudable  pride  in  the  compliments  so  lately  passed 
upon  their  organization  by  the  war-worn  General 
Howard.  They  had  recently*taken  up  target  shooting, 
which  added  not  a  little  zest  to  their  weekly  parades. 
These  were  really  spirited  affairs,  as  there  was  much 
good-natured  competition  for  the  "  best  shot."  The 
firing  was,  as  a  whole,  very  clever,  while  some  few  of 
the  Invincibles  were  pronounced  first-rate  marksmen 
by  those  competent  to  judge.  But  George  Herrick's 
unflinching  eye  and  steady  nerves  were  always  sure  to 
bear  away  the  palm  —  except  on  some  particular  occa- 
sions when  Uncle  Bill  favored  them  with  a  shot.  He 
had  been  unanimously  voted  an  honorary  member,  and 
nothing  suited  the  boys  any  better  than  when  they 


THE    YOUXG   INVINCIBLES.  283 

could  persuade  the  kind-hearted  old  sailor  to  join  them 
in  their  exercise  of  target-shooting. 

Uncle  Bill  was  a  remarkable  "  shot."  He  could 
place  the  ball  within  a  quarter  of  an  inch  of  any  given 
point  in  a  succession  of  a  dozen  shots,  without  a  single 
failure.  George  Herrick  was  no  less  pleased  than  the 
company  in  general  at  such  times  as  the  old  seaman 
favored  them  with  his  accurate  skill  in  firing,  notwith- 
standing he  knew  for  a  certainty  that  on  all  such  occa- 
sions his  own  shots  would  rank  only  second  best. 
George  had  a  twofold  object  in  view  in  thus  willingly 
submitting  to  Uncle  Bill's  superiority  in  target  prac- 
tice— .he  knew  it  was  slightly  gratifying  to  the  com- 
pany at  large  to  see  the  old  sailor  deprive  him  of  a 
portion  of  his  easily-earned  honors,  and  his  generous 
disposition  prompted  him  to  yield  with  a  good  grace ; 
then,  again,  he  was  well  aware  that  these  trials  of 
skill  with  a  superior  marksman  were  just  the  lessons 
he  required  to  perfect  him  in  the  practice  ;  and  George 
Herrick's  ambition  was  to  excel  in  whatever  was  worth 
attempting  at  all. 

As  the  Invincibles  marched  up  the  road  from  their 
target  ground,  late  on  a  Wednesday  afternoon,  on 
which  occasion  the  firing  had  been  unusually  good 
all  round,  they  noticed,  when  they  halted  in  front  of 
Colonel  White's,  that  a  Mr.  Rogers,  from  the  Lower 


284  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 

Landing,  was  standing  at  that  gentleman's  door  in 
earnest  conversation  with  Mrs.  White,  for  the  colonel 
was  absent  with  Squire  Belmont  on  that  day,  attending 
to  some  business  in  the  county  town.  The  moment  the 
company  halted,  the  lady  beckoned  George  and  Uncle 
Bill  to  come  to  her  —  which  summons  they  obeyed 
without  a  moment's  delay. 

After  a  conference  of  five  minutes,  the  old  sailor 
was  seen  to  proceed  to  the  stable,  and  George  Herrick 
returned  to  his  company. 

"  Boys,"  said  he,  as  soon  as  he  came  within  speak- 
ing distance,  rt  you  can  probably  have  an  opportunity 
to-night,  if  you  wish,  to  try  your  hand  at  '  rebel ' 
targets.  You  know  the  pirate  Tacony  has  been  all 
along  the  coast  here  for  a  few  days  past,  destroying 
our  fishing  vessels  and  coasters  ;  and  last  night  she 
captured  and  burned  the  '  Water- witch,'  owneM  in  this 
town,  and  sent  the  crew  off  in  the  small  boat,  who 
succeeded  in  landing  near  Tlirnville,  about  twenty-five 
miles  up  the  bay  from  here.  A  son  of  Mr.  Rogers 
was  on  board  the  Water-witch ;  and  as  soon  as  he 
reached  the  shore,  he  sent  a  telegram  to  his  father 
concerning  the  afiair,  and  also  stated  that  they  over- 
heard some  of  the  pirates  talking  about  a  fine  new  ship 
in  harbor  some  twenty-five  miles  down  the  bay,  which 
they  intended  to  steal  or  burn  to-night,  as  the  case 


THE    YOUNG   INl'INCIBLES.  285 

might  be,  by  sending  in  a  boat's  crew  for  the  purpose. 
They  undoubtedly  meant  the  '  General  Grant.'  Shall 
we  protect  that  fine  ship,  and  give  the  '  rebs '  a  warm 
reception  ?  " 

"  Yes,  yes,  yes  !  "  was  the  unanimous  response. 

"  Very  well,"  continued  the  young  commander. 
"  But,  boys,  I  have  no  right  to  lead  you  on  any  such 
expedition  as  this,  until  you  consult  your  parents. 
Therefore  I  shall  now  dismiss  you ;  and  as  many  of 
you  as  gain  your  parents'  consent  may  report  here  to 
Lieutenant  Sprightly  at  seven  o'clock  this  evening. 
Eequest  all  your  folks  to  keep  the  matter  quiet  —  and 
be  sure  that  your  cartridge-boxes  are  well  supplied 
with  ball  cartridges." 

The  boys,  under  a  good  deal  of  excitement,  scam- 
pered off  at  once  towards  their  respective  homes, 
whilst  George  Herrick  turned  to  his  right-hand  man, 
Tom  Sprightly,  and  communicated  to  him  his  plan  of 
operations,  as  far  as  formed  in  his  own  mind.  It  was 
briefly  this :  George  was  to  proceed  at  once  with 
Uncle  Bill  and  Mr.  Rogers  to  the  shipyard  at  the 
Point,  where  the  General  Grant  still  remained  at 
the  little  wharf,  and  communicate  with  the  ship- 
keeper  on  board,  and  take  advantage  of  what  little 
daylight  would  remain  for  the  furtherance  of  their 
enterprise.  Tom  was  to  take  command  of  whatever 


286  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OB 

number  of  Invincibles  reported  to  him,  and  march 
after  dark,  by  the  back  road,  in  order  to  keep  the 
matter  as  quiet  as  possible,  to  the  expected  scene  of 
action. 

In  the  course  of  a  few  minutes  Dancing  Jim  was 
taking  George  and  his  two  older  companions  rapidly 
over  the  road  he  had  so  frequently  travelled  to  the 
shipyard. 

"  I  wish  Colonel  White  had  been  at  home,"  said 
George,  slackening  the  lines  a  little,  as  an  intimation  to 
Dancing  Jim  that  there  was  no  objection  to  his  doing 
his  best ;  "  for  I  feel  that  I  am  taking  a  good  deal  of 
responsibility  in  this  matter." 

"  Nonsense,"  replied  Uncle  Bill.  "  If  the  colonel 
had  been  at  home,  the  first  thing  he  would  have  done 
would  be  to  turn  to  you  and  say,  '  George,  what  had 
we  better  do  ? '  Haven't  I  seen  him  often  enough  to 
know  ?  " 

"  True,  the  colonel  sometimes  asks  my  opinion," 
rejoined  George  ;  "  but  then  he  always  has  the  best  of 
advice  to  give  on  all  subjects,  and  I  always  feel  certain, 
I  am  right  when  acting  under  that  advice.  However, 
it  would  not  do  to  delay  in  this  case,  and  I  shall  do  the 
best  I  can." 

"  And  that  will  be  the  best  that  anybody  could  do," 
replied  Mr.  Rogers,  who  had  been  a  witness  to  George's 


THE    YOUNG  INVINCIDLES.  287 

remarkable  coolness  and  firmness  in  his  recent  severe 
encounter  with  young  Dunham. 

The  ship  General  Grant  had  been  sold  to  govern- 
ment, and  was  then  in  charge  of  a  government  officer, 
awaiting  the  arrival  of  a  master  and  crew  to  take  her 
to  New  York.  This  fact  was  not  knowja  to  Mr. 
Rogers.  Hence  his  visit  to  Colonel  White's.  George 
Herrick,  however,  knew  that  the  sale  had  been  made, 
and  probably  he  felt  the  responsibility  of  his  present 
undertaking  to  be  greater  than  he  would  have  done 
if  the  ship  had  still  remained  private  property,  and 
Colonel  White  had  continued  the  principal  owner  of  her. 
But,  fortunately,  our  young  Invincible  reasoned  from 
the  war  stand-point  —  Rescue  and  preserve  everything 
possible,  up  to  the  Union  itself,  and  talk  about  nice 
legal  and  constitutional  points  afterwards.  Waging 
war  on  a  peace  basis  results  in  the  predicament  of  the 
man  who  allowed  himself  to  be  run  down  by  a  runa- 
way horse  on  a  bridge,  because  he  persisted  in  ad- 
hering to  the  well-known  law,  "  Keep  to  the  right." 

Arriving  at  the  Point,  the  party  proceeded  at  once 
to  the  ship,  and  communicated  to  the  keeper  all  the 
information  they  possessed  with  regard  to  the  expected 
visit  from  the  pirates,  offering  to  stand  by  the  ship 
with  him.  George  Herrick  then  informed  him  that 
not  only  were  his  own  services  at  his  command,  but  he 


288  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 

felt  confident  that  a  considerable  number  of  his  com- 
pany would  be  on  the  spot  early  in  the  evening ;  and 
although  they  were  boys,  he  was  not  afraid  to  say  that 
they  knew  how  to  handle  a  musket. 

Mr.  Rice,  the  ship-keeper,  was  a  patriotic,  resolute 
man,  and  he  at  once  decided  to  defend  his  government's 
property  to  the  last.  He  accepted  the  offer  of  assist- 
ance with  many  thanks.  They  immediately  held  a 
consultation  as  to  the  best  steps  to  be  adopted.  The 
little  harbor,  at  the  head  of  which  were  the  shipyard 
and  the  small  wharf  where  the  vessel  lay,  is  formed  by 
three  distinct  points  of  land ;  two  of  which  jut  out  a 
short  distance  into  the  bay,  converging  at  their  ex- 
treme ends  to  within  half  a  mile  of  each  other,  while 
the  third,  much  less  in  extent,  merely  serves  to  divide 
the  harbor  itself  into  two  coves  —  one  of  considerable 
surface,  but  shallow  water,  and  the  other,  termed  the 
"Inner  Harbor"  of  much  greater  depth,  but  not  more 
than  an  eighth  of  a  mile  from  the  little  point  up  to 
head  water,  and  a  mere  stone's  throw  across  from  the 
point  to  *the  opposite  shore.  Here,  however,  is  the 
channel,  with  sufficient  depth  of  water  at  full  tide  for 
the  largest  merchant  ship  ;  and  here,  of  course,  is  the 
shipyard. 

Stretching  directly  across  from  the  two  outer  points, 
are  a  small,  round  island,  of  some  half  dozen  acres, 


THE    YOUNG   INVINCIBLE S.  289 

and  two  rough  ledges,  the  latter  being  nearly  covered 
at  high  water.  The  distances  between  the  southern 
point  and  the  island,  between  the  island  and  the 
southernmost  ledge,  between  the  two  ledges  them- 
selves, as  well  as  between  fne  most  northerly  ledge 
and  the  other  point,  are  about  equally  divided,  thus 
leaving  four  narrow  passages  into  the  harbor  for  ves- 
sels, of  light  draught  at  high  tide  ;  but  the  channel  lies 
between  the  island  and  one  of  the  ledges,  where  there 
is  sufficient  depth  of  water  for  the  largest  ship  that 
floats.  To  appearance,  however,  there  is  no  safe  en- 
trance to  the  harbor,  and  no  seaman  would  venture  in 
with  his  vessel  for  the  first  time  without  a  pilot. 

The  three  men  had  given  their  views  quite  freely  as 
to  the  best  course  to  be  pursued  in  case  the  pirates  did 
pay  them  a  visit,  and  some  of  the  recommendations  of 
each  had  been  adopted,  aid  the  consummation  of  a 
plan  seemed  near  at  hand,  when  Uncle  Bill  said,  — 

"Come,  George,  now  for  your  opinion  —  you're 
cap'n,  you  know."  "  ^ 

The  other  two  men  also  urged  George  to*  give  his 
views  without  restraint. 

"  Well,  I  like  your  plan  as  far  as  it  goes,"  said  the 

•youth  ;  "  but  you  propose  only  to  defend  the  ship.     I 

think  we  should  try  and  do  something  more  than  that — 

and  I  believe  we  can.     The  Tacony,  of  course,  will 

19 


290  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 

not  venture  into  the  harbor.  There  would  be  danger 
of  her  getting  aground  on  the  ledges,  if  nothing  more, 
as  they  can  have  no  pilot  that  is  acquainted  with  the 
various  crooks  and  turns.  They  will  send  merely  a 
boat's  crew  ;  not  over  ten  or  twelve  at  most ;  and  if 
their  object  is  to  burn  the  ship,  probably  not  more  than 
half  that  number  will  make  their  appearance.  Now, 
if  my  boys  come  in  such  force  as  I  think  they  will,  we 
ought  to  be  able  to  capture  every  pirate  that  ventures  into 
the  Inner  Harbor" 

George  spoke  with  such  earnest  confidence  that  his 
older  companions  supposed  he  must  have  some  plan  of 
operations  matured  in  his  mind,  and  Mr.  Rice  asked 
him  in  what  manner  he  thought  the  pirates  could  be 
taken. 

"  I  think  we  can  count  upon  seeing  thirty  of  our 
boys  here  at  least,  all  well  armed,  and  I  would  divide 
them  into  three  equal  squads  —  one  to  remain  con- 
cealed on  the  deck  of  the  ship,  with  a  boat  alongside, 
with  strict  orders  not  to  fire  until  the  pirates  had  ap- 
proached*to  within  half  gunshot  range  ;  a  second  squad 
should  drop  down  in  a  boat  and  land  on  Eden  Point, 
concealing  the  boat  with  seaweed,  and  themselves 
among  the  rocks ;  while  the  third  party  should  also 
take  a  boat  and  land  on  the  other  side  of  the  harbor, 
directly  opposite  the  Point,  concealing  themselves  and 


THE    YOUNG   INVINCIBLES.  291 

boat  in  like  manner.  The  pirates  are  to  be  allowed  to 
pass  up  the  harbor  unmolested,  and  when  sufficiently 
near  the  ship  they  should  be  hailed,  to  make  it  certain 
they  are  enemies,  when,  if  their  answers  or  their  ac- 
tions are  not  satisfactory,  one  half  of  the  boys  should 
take  good  aim  and  fire,  immediately  reloading,  while 
the  others  reserve  their  fire  in  case  the  pirates  should 
attempt  to  board,  or  to  give  them  another  peppering 
as  they  turn  to  escape,  which  is  more  likely  to  be 
the  case." 

Uncle  Bill  could  contain  himself  no  longer,  but, 
springing  to  his  feet,  exclaimed,  — 

"  I  see  it  all !  —  George,  you  ought  to  be  a  commo- 
dore !  " 

"  The  plan  looks  well,  so  far,"  said  Mr.  Rice,  evi- 
dently well  pleased  both  with  the  clear-headed  youth 
before  him,  and  the  suggestions  he  was  making. 
"  Come,  give  us  the  rest  of  it  as  quick  as  possible, 
and  then  let  us  prepare  to  put  it  in  execution.  —  How 
does 'it  strike  you,  Rogers?  " 

"  Capitally  !  I  believe  I'm  in  for  it.  Go  on,  young 
man." 

"  Uncle  Bill,"  said  George,  "  you  say  you  '  see  it 
all.'  Just  give  the  rest  of  the  plan  yourself.  If  you 
understand  it,  you  can  convey  as  much  in  a  dozen 
words  as  I  can  in  a  hundred." 


292  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 

"Ay,  ay,"  responded  the  old  sailor,  all  animation, 
as  a  sort  of  miniature  sea-fight  floated  before  his 
mind's  vision ;  "  it's  all  plain  as  day.  The  firing 
abpard  the  General  Grant  is  to  be  the  signal  for  the 
other  two  squads  of  boys  to  take  to  their  boats  and 
move  steadily  up  the  harbor,  while  those  on  board  the 
ship  are  to  take  to  their  boat  and  follow  the  pirates 
down ;  thus  fairly  surrounding  them,  and  obliging 
them  to  surrender  as  sure  as  fate.  George,  you  ought 
to  be  a  commodore  !  "  and  Uncle  Bill  brought  his  pon- 
derous fist  down  on  his  young  friend's  shoulder  with  a 
force  that  would  have  caused  a  less  hardy  and  well- 
knit  frame  to  wince  with  pain. 

"  You  do  '  see  it  all,'  "  said  the  youth,  smiling. 

The  three  men  heartily  indorsed  George's  recom- 
mendations, and  proceeded  at  once  to  make  prepara- 
tions for  carrying  out  the  programme.  There  were  a 
large  number  of  boats  about  the  harbor,  so  that  there 
was  no  difficulty  in  selecting  such  as  were  suitable  for 
the  occasion.  Three  of  them  were  brought  to  the 
ship's  side,  and  properly  furnished  with  oars,  boat- 
hooks,  lines,  and  whatever  else  was  thought  to  be 
necessary  for  the  enterprise.  It  would  be  high  lide  a 
short  time  before  twelve  o'clock  ;  and  it  was  reasonably 
supposed  that  the  pirates  would  make  their  appearance, 
if  at  all,  not  far  from  that  time,  especially  if  they  had 


THE    YOUNG   INVINCIBLES.  293 

any  idea  of  getting  the  ship  out  of  the  harbor,  as  they 
could  then  take  advantage  of  the  turn  of  the  tide, 
which  would  be  of  no  slight  assistance  to  them. 

The  party  on  board  the  ship  had  completed  all 
necessary  arrangements,  as  far  as  they  were  able  to 
do  for  the  present,  and  now  anxiously  awaited  the 
arrival  of  the  young  soldiers.  A  short  time  before 
nine  o'clock  they  made  their  appearance,  and  their 
young  commander  was  highly  gratified  as  he  counted 
their  thirty-six  muskets.  The  plan  of  operations  was 
speedily  made  known  to  Lieutenant  Sprightly  and  his 
party,  who  entered  into  the  spirit  of  the  affair  with  an 
earnestness  that  promised  success.  There  continued 
to  be  frequent  arrivals  at  the  shipyard  for  an  hour 
after  the  appearance  of  the  Invincibles,  notwithstand- 
ing George's  precautions,  as,  in  many  instances,  the 
citizens  had  allowed  their  boys  to  join  the  movement 
only  after  having  decided  to  be  present  themselves. 


294  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 


CHAPTER    XXVII. 

THE   PIRATE   TACONY. 

T  ten  o'clock  everything  was  quiet,  strict  con- 
cealment and  perfect  silence  having  been  im- 
pressed upon  every  one.  Twelve  of  the  young 
soldiers  were  stationed  on  board  the  ship,  under  com- 
mand of  Lieutenant  Sherman  ;  an  equal  number,  com- 
manded by  Lieutenant  Sprightly,  entered  one  of  the 
boats,  the  boat  being  under  the  charge  of  Uncle  Bill, 
and  rowed  quietly  to  Eden  Point ;  while  the  remaining 
twelve^  under  Captain  Herrick,  with  Mr.  Rogers  act- 
ing as  boatman,  silently  moved  down  to  their  allotted 
place  on  the  shore  opposite  the  Point.  The  boats  were 
completely  concealed,  and  not  a  human  being  was  to 
be  seen  or  heard  in  the  vicinity  of  the  harbor  outside 
of  the  respective  squads  of  anxious  watchers. 

No  work  was  going  on  in  the  shipyard  at  this  time  ; 
but  the  men  from  the  village,  some  twenty  in  number, 
who  had  assembled  during  the  evening,  were  concealed 
in  the  yard,  with  two  large  boats  in  readiness  to  be 


THE    TOUNG   INVINCIBLES.  295 

manned  immediately  if  their  services  should  be  re- 
quired ;  but  it  was  understood  by  all  that  George 
Herrick  had  planned  the  enterprise,  and  was  at  the 
head  of  it,  and  that  his  orders  .were  to  be  obeyed. 
Some  doubted  whether  any  pirates  would  make  their 
appearance ;  but  those  who  knew  young  Rogers  best, 
believed  he  had  good  grounds  for  sending  the  informa- 
tion which  he  had  communicated  to  his  father. 

It  was  a  clear,  starlight  night,  and  sharp  eyes  could 
see  quite  distinctly  down  to  the  mouth  of  the  harbor ; 
but  although  many  pairs  of  such  eyes  were  directed  to 
the  different  entrances,  nothing  that  looked  like  a  boat 
had  made  its  appearance  up  to  eleven  o'clock.  A  few 
minutes  after  that  hour,  however,  all  were  surprised  to 
see  the  Tacony  herself  heave  in  sight  between  Nigger- 
head  Island  and  the  ledge,  and  sail  slowly  along  so 
close  to  the  island  shore  as  to  make  it  appear  certain 
that  some  person  must  be  on  the  pirate  vessel's  deck 
who  knew  well  the  depth  of  water  at  that  place,  or 
they  would  not  have  ventured  so  near  the  land.  Pass- 
ing a  short  distance  inside  the  ledges,  the  vessel  dropped 
anchor,  and  swung  so  near  to  the  island  that  she  would 
scarcely  have  been  noticed  except  by  those  who  had 
seen  her  in  motion. 

In  the  course  of  a  few  minutes  a  boat  was  seen  to 
leave  the  vessel's  side  and  move  along  near  the  ledges, 


296  PATRIOTISM   AT  HOME,    OR 

stretching  across  the  mouth  of  the  harbor  until  it  was 
some  little  distance  up  into  the  larger  cove,  and  then 
changed  its  course  and  made  for  Eden's  Point.  By 
this  movement  the  boat  was  concealed  from  the  obser- 
vation of  any  one  at  the  head  of  the  harbor  until  after 
it  should  round  the  Point.  As  it  neared  the  spot  where 
Tom  Sprightly  and  his  squad  were  concealed,  ten  men 
could  be  distinctly  counted  as  making  up  the  crew  ;  and 
they  passed  so  close  to  the  boys  that  the  latter  could 
hardly  refrain  from  giving  them  a  shot. 

"Shall  we  pepper  them?"  whispered  one  of  the 
most  impatient. 

"  Obey  orders,"  was  the  low,  prompt  reply  of 
Lieutenant  Sprightly. 

The  pirates  used  muffled  oars,  and  their  boat  glided 
on  with  scarcely  a  sound.  After  passing  round  the 
Point,  the  men  lay  on  their  oars  for  a  minute  or  two, 
as  if  listening,  peering  up  the  harbor  the  while,  and 
then  moved  on  as  before.  As  soon  as  the  strange  boat 
was  far  enough  from  the  boys  to  make  it  safe  to  do  so, 
the  squad  on  either  shore  removed  the  seaweed  from 
their  respective  boats,  and  placed  them  where  they 
could  be  launched  at  a  moment's  notice.  By  hugging 
the  shores  closely  when  they  should  begin  to  move  up 
the  harbor,  they  could  not  possibly  be  seen  from  the 
pirate  vessel. 


THE    YOUNG  INVINCIBLES.  297 

Notwithstanding  the  new  and  exciting  situation  in 
which  the  Invincibles  were  placed,  they  all  main- 
tained the  most  perfect  quiet,  obeyed  orders  to  the 
letter,  and  watched  with  much  anxiety  the  advance  of 
the  pirate  boat  towards  the  General  Grant.  In  fact, 
they  almost  began  to  fear  that  their  companions  on 
board  the  ship  did  not  see  the  approach  of  the  enemy, 
so  near  did  they  appear  to  be  to  the  ship's  side.  The 
next  moment,  however,  "  Boat  —  ahoy  !  "  floated  down 
on  the  gentle  evening  breeze  to  the  ears  of  the  watchful 
squads  on  the  shores,  as  Mr.  Rice  hailed  the  pirate 
crew.  The  almost  instantaneous  reply  to  the  hail  was 
a  musket  shot  from  the  boat ;  but  the  keeper  of  the 
ship  was  in  a  place  of  safety,  and  the  ball  whistled 
harmlessly  over  his  head. 

"  Ready  —  aim  —  fire  !  "  shouted  Lieutenant  Sher- 
man, and  six  muskets  from  the  ship's  deck  sent  their 
contents  into  the  midst  of  the  advancing  pirates. 

This  was  a  reception  wholly  unexpected  by  the  ras- 
cals, as  they  had  reckoned  only  on  finding  the  keeper 
on  board,  and  hoped  that  their  single  shot  had  silenced 
him.  The  shots  from  the  ship  had  evidently  taken 
effect,  for  all  was  confusion  on  board  the  boat,  and 
commingled  groans  and  oaths  were  distinctly  heard  by 
the  party  on  shipboard.  Lieutenant  Sherman  waited 
long  enough  to  see  that  the  boat  had  put  about  for 


298  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 

the  purpose  of  retreating,  when  he  again  gave  the 
order, — 

"Ready  —  aim  —  fire!"  and  the  bullets  from  the 
remaining  six  muskets  hastened  the  movements  of  the 
retreating  enemy. 

The  next  instant  a  signal  rocket  was  sent  up  from 
the  boat,  and  was  immediately  answered  by  a  corre- 
sponding one  from  the  Tacony.  In  one  minute's  time, 
the  vessel  had  weighed  anchor,  and  was  hastening  out 
past  the  island  into  the  bay,  fearing,  probably,  that 
heavier  guns  might  be  brought  into  play.  In  the 
mean  time  the  two  squads  of  Invincibles  under  Cap- 
tain Herrick  and  Lieutenant  Sprightly  had  launched 
their  boats,  and  were  moving  steadily  and  silently  up 
the  little  harbor,  keeping  so  close  to  the  shores  that 
they  had  as  yet  avoided  the  notice  of  the  Tacony's 
boat,  while  the  party  under  Lieutenant  Sherman  had 
speedily  reloaded,  embarked  in  their  boat,  and  were 
in  full  pursuit  of  the  retreating  pirates. 

As  soon  as  the  men  concealed  in  the  shipyard  were 
satisfied  that  the  strangers  were  retreating,  they 
embarked,  and  pulled  out  a  little  distance  into  the 
stream,  —  one  boat  taking  position  about  midway  be- 
tween the  centre  of  the  harbor  and  the  western  shore, 
while  the  other  occupied  a  corresponding  position  on  the 
eastern  side,  —  thus  guarding  against  the  possibility 


THE    YOUNG   IXVINCIBLES.  299 

of  escape  by  the  pirates  in  either  of  these  directions, 
which  they  might  probably  attempt  when  they  should 
find  their  retreat  cut  off  by  the  two  boats  of  Invincibles 
at  the  narrow  passage  between  the  Point  and  the  west- 
ern shore.  These  men  had  full  confidence  in  George 
Herrick  and  the  plot  he  had  devised  for  the  capture  of 
the  rebel  crew,  and  were  determined  that  the  boys 
should  have  all  the  glory  of  the  affair  to  themselves, 
unless  it  became  absolutely  necessary  for  them  to  lend 
their  aid  ;  still  they  thought  it  to  be  their  duty  to  take 
these  precautionary  steps. 

The  pirates  seemed  to  be  aware  of  no  other  enemy, 
as  yet,  than  the  boat's  crew  from  the  ship,  which  were 
hotly  pursuing  them,  and  were  even  now  near  enough 
to  have  delivered  an  effective  fire ;  but  such  were  not 
the  orders.  The  fugitives  were  rapidly  nearing  the 
narrowest  part  of  the  passage,  when  a  few  strong  pulls 
brought  the  two  boats  lying  in  wait  for  them  almost 
athwart  either  bow,  and  twenty-four  muskets  were 
instantly  brought  to  bear  upon  them  in  such  close 
proximity  as  jeopardized  every  life  in  the  boat,  while 
Uncle  Bill,  in  stentorian  voice,  cried  out,  — 

"  Tacony  boat,  ahoy  !  Heave  to,  and  surrender  in- 
stantly, or  we'll  blow  you  all  to  pieces  !  " 

The  pirates  were  evidently  taken  aback.  They 
hastily  cast  their  eyes  astern,  and  saw  that  the 


300  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 

pursuing  boat  was  close  upon  them  ;  and  as  they  had 
already  tasted  fire  from  that  direction,  they  at  once 
decided  that  escape  or  resistance  was  out  of  the  ques- 
tion ;  so  they  determined  upon  a  parley. 

"  You'll  have  to  suffer  for  this  unprovoked  attack 
upon  distressed  seamen,"  commenced  the  pirate  who 
seemed  to  be  in  command  of  the  boat,  in  answer  to 
Uncle  Bill's  demand.  "  We  belong  to  a  Union  vessel 
short  of  water,  and  have  put  in  here  for  a  supply,  and 
you  fire  upon  us  without  a  word  of  warning,  and  treat 
us  as  if  we  were  pirates.  Now,  the  best  thing  you  can 
do  is  to  let  us  go  on  board  our  vessel,  and  we'll  call  it 
all  a  mistake." 

"  Tell  that  to  the  marines  !  "  thundered  Uncle  Bill ; 
"  I  happen  to  be  an  old  sailor.  '  Unprovoked  attack 
upon  distressed  seamen,'  eh?  You  cowardly  lubbers, 
didn't  you  fire  the  first  shot  yourselves  ?  —  (same  as 
you  did  at  Sumter)  — and  now,  as  then,  you  beg  to  be 
'  let  alone ' !  We  know  just  who  you  are ;  so  you 
needn't  trouble  yourselves  with  any  more  yarns" 

"  Ready  —  aim  !  "  cried  the  captain  of  the  Invin- 
cibles,  now  assuming  the  command  that  properly  be- 
longed to  him. 

"  Ready  —  aim  !  "  promptly  repeated  Lieutenant 
Sprightly. 

"  Ready  —  aim  !  "    was   reiterated    by    Lieutenant 


THE    YOUNG   INV1NCIBLES.  301 

Sherman,  whose  boat  was  now  sufficiently  near  to 
perform  its  allotted  part  in  the  manoeuvre. 

"  Do  you  surrender,  without  more  words  ?  "  de- 
manded Captain  Herrick,  in  a  tone  that  plainly  indi- 
cated a  firmness  at  the  bottom  of  it  that  would  not 
bear  trifling  with. 

"Yes  —  we  surrender,"  was  the  muttered  reply, 
coming  from  more  than  one  pair  of  lips. 

"  Very  well,"  rejoined  the  young  captain.  "  Deposit 
your  arms,  of  every  description,  in  the  stern  of  your 
boat,  and  then  all  come  forward.  Lieutenant  Sher- 
man," continued  the  speaker,  "  advance,  and  see  that 
the  order  is  complied  with  to  the  letter,  and  shoot 
every  man  who  disobeys  it." 

The  lieutenant's  boat  advanced,  and  the  arms  were 
secured  without  difficulty,  the  pirates  finding  they  had 
a  resolute  enemy  to  deal  with.  The  other  two  parties 
simultaneously  advanced  to  the  bows  of  the  rebel  boat, 
and  then,  for  the  first  time,  the  pirates  became  aware 
that  they  had  been  captured  by  a  company  of  hoys  ! 
But  it  was  too  late  now  to  think  of  resistance,  and 
they  could  only  growl  low  curses  on  their  ill  luck,  as 
they  submitted  one  by  one  to  the  humiliating  process 
of  having  their  hands  firmly  lashed  behind  them  by 
Uncle  Bill,  who  had  brought  some  strong  small  line 
for  that  purpose  from  the  ship. 


302  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,   OR 

It  was  found  that  two  of  the  men  were  slightly 
wounded  —  one  in  the  arm,  and  the  other  in  the 
cheek.  One  stout  young  fellow  among  the  gang  ap- 
peared to  wish  to  avoid  observation,  as  he  kept  his 
collar  turned  up  about  his  neck,  and  had  a  handker- 
chief tied  around  the  lower  part  of  his  face,  although 
the  evening  was  so  mild  and  warm  that  such  protec- 
tion seemed  wholly  unnecessary. 

"When  the  pirates  were  all  securely  bound,  Uncle 
Bill  and  Mr.  Rogers  took  seats  at  the  rebel  oars,  while 
George  Herrick's  boat  led  the  way  up  the  harbor, 
followed  by  the  other  three  —  that  of  the  prisoners 
occupying  a  central  position.  As  soon  as  the  men 
who  had  acted  as  a  reserve  force  ascertained  that  their 
services  would  not  be  required  in  the  capture  of  the 
pirates,  they  had  landed,  and  proceeded  on  board  the 
General  Grant,  where  they  were  joined  by  a  consider- 
able number  of  the  neighbors  about  the  Point.  And 
now,  as  the  young  Invincibles  drew  near  to  the  ship, 
they  were  met  with  almost  deafening  cheers  from  her 
deck. 

The  moment  George  Herrick's  boat  reached  the 
ship,  he  mounted  her  side,  and  held  a  few  minutes' 
conversation  with  Mr.  Rice. 

"  What  do  you  propose  to  do  with  your  prisoners?" 
he  asked  of  George,  after  heartily  congratulating  him 


THE    TOUNG  INVINCIBLES.  303 

on  the  entire  success  of  his  enterprise.  "  Probably 
you  will  march  them  over  to  the  Corner  without 
delay  ?  " 

"  No ;  I  think  that  scarcely  advisable,"  replied  the 
young  man.  "  I  believe  the  ship  will  be  the  best  and 
safest  quarters  for  them  to-night.  I  propose,  with  your 
approval,  to  place  them  between  decks,  with  a  guard 
of  my  boys  over  them  till  morning.  Besides,  the  ship 
cannot  be  said  to  be  wholly  out  of  danger  yet.  The 
pirate  may  send  a  second  and  stronger  party  to  see 
what  has  become  of  the  first,  or  even  attempt  a  rescue, 
and  fire  the  ship,  after  all.  I  intend  to  stand  guard 
here  till  morning,  when,  you  say,  the  master  and  crew 
are  expected." 

Not  only  Mr.  Rice,  but  all  who  heard  George's  opin- 
ion, gave  assent  to  the  weight  of  it ;  and  he  was  urged 
to  go  ahead  and  finish  up  the  work  he  had  planned 
and  carried  forward  so  judiciously  thus  far.  So  the 
prisoners  were  brought  on  deck,  preparatory  to  their 
temporary  imprisonment ;  and  as  the  stout  young  man 
already  alluded  to  as  wishing  to  avoid  scrutiny  jumped 
from  the  ship's  railing  to  the  deck,  the  pocket-hand- 
kerchief which  had  concealed  his  features  became 
loosened,  and  dropped  over  his  shoulders.  Tom 
Sprightly  was  the  first  to  notice  it,  when  he  suddenly 
exclaimed,  — 


304  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 

"  George  —  look  !  look !  Here  is  an  old  friend  of 
yours,  turned  up  pirate  !  " 

George,  and  others,  did  look,  and,  to  their  astonish- 
ment, there  stood  Jack  Dunham. 

"  O,  this  is  too  bad !  "  said  George  Herrick,  in  a 
grieved  tone.  "  I  would  not  have  believed  this,  even 
of  Jack.  To  think  that  any  one  who  is  a  native  of 
Harryseekit  could  join  with  rebel  pirates  is  almost  too 
much  to  believe  !  " 

The  pirates  were  soon  secure  between  decks,  Jack 
among  the  rest,  who  had  maintained  a  stubborn  silence 
throughout  the  whole  affair.  It  was  subsequently 
ascertained  that  he  had  fallen  in  with  the  pirates  up 
the  bay,  in  some  of  their  furtive  visits  to  the  shore, 
and  had  been  readily  induced,  by  a  small  bribe  from 
them  and  his  hatred  to  Colonel  White  on  account  of 
his  great  friendship  for  George,  to  pilot  the  expedition 
into  the  harbor  for  the  purpose  of  stealing  or  burning 
the  General  Grant* which  he  supposed  was  still  owned 
by  the  colonel.  But  whether  he  was  guilty  or  not  of 
having  set  the  fire  that  consumed  Colonel  White's  barn, 
was  never  known  beyond  the  strong  circumstantial 
evidence  in  the  case. 

After  Uncle  Bill  had  dressed  the  wounds  of  the 
two  sailors,  which  proved  to  be  slight,  and  a  suitable 
guard  was  placed  over  the  pirates,  the  young  captain 


THE   YOUNG  INVJNCIBLES.  305 

despatched  Lieutenant  Sprightly  with  a  squad  of  eight 
of  the  boys  down  the  western  shore  far  enough  to 
ascertain  whether  the  Tacony  had  actually  taken  her 
departure,  or  was  concealed  behind  the  island,  waiting 
to  learn  the  fate  of  the  boat's  crew,  or  perhaps  make  a 
second  attack  upon  the  General  Grant. 

Within  an  hour  the  party  returned,  and  reported  the 
Tacony  under  sail  some  two  or  three  miles  down  the 
bay.  This  relieved  the  minds  of  all  from  any  great 
fears  of  another  attack  ;  but  still  a  reliable  watch  was 
kept  up  until  daylight.  Before  sunrise  the  prisoners 
were  brought  on  deck,  some  breakfast  given  them,  and 
then,  under  guard  of  their  boy  captors,  were  put  on 
the  march  for  the  village.  The  news  of  the  affair  had 
spread,  and  all  along  the  road  the  Invincibles  were 
cheered  most  heartily.  They  reached  the  railroad 
depot  just  as  the  morning  train  arrived  from  the  east, 
bringing,  among  others,  Colonel  White  and  Squire 
Belmont,  who  had  been  detained  over  night  away 
from  home. 

As  the  train  stopped  here  for  wood  and  water,  it 
gave  time  for  the  night's  adventure  to  be  related  to  the 
passengers,  who  united  with  the  citizens  in  bestowing 
hearty  cheers  and  praises  upon  our  young  citizen  sol- 
diers. Squire  Belmont  wrote  a  hasty  note  to  Collector 
Jewell,  at  Capeland,  with  regard  to  the  matter,  and 
20 


306  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 

gave  it  to  the  conductor  of  the  train,  who  would  be 
relieved  when  the  cars  reached  that  place.  The  train 
moved  on,  and  the  Invincibles  continued  their  march 
up  through  the  village  to  the  gun-house,  exciting  cheers 
greeting  them  the  whole  distance,  where  the  prisoners 
were  temporarily  lodged  to  await  orders  from  Cape- 
land,  the  boy  soldiers  still  standing  guard. 

Within  two  hours  a  special  train  arrived  from  Cape- 
land,  bringing  the  United  States  marshal  and  his 
deputies,  who  relieved  our  young  soldiers  of  their 
charge.  The  marshal  complimented  the  Invincibles 
handsomely  for  their  military  achievement,  thanked 
them  in  the  name  of  the  government  for  the  good  ser- 
vice they  had  rendered,  and  promised  that  they  should 
be  reported  favorably  to  the  war  department. 

The  prisoners  were  now  brought  out,  their  rope 
fastenings  exchanged  for  handcuffs,  and  the  whole  of 
them  —  Jack  Dunham  the  most  despised  of  all  — 
marched  down  to  the  depot  and  taken  to  Capeland, 
where  they  were  safely  lodged  in  the  fort  down  the 
harbor,  to  await  the  orders  of  the  government.  The 
Invincibles  then  marched  to  their  little  armory  and 
deposited  their  muskets,  where  they  were  joined  by 
Colonel  White  and  Squire  Belmont,  both  full  of  praises 
to  the  boys  for  their  good  night's  work.  The  latter 
gentleman  advised  them  to  go  home  and  rest,  take  a 


THE    YOUNG   INVINCIBLES.  307 

nap,  ask  their  parents  for  the  remainder  of  the  day  as 
a  holiday,  and  assemble  again  on  their  parade-ground 
at  six  o'clock  that  evening,  as  the  colonel  and  he 
wished  to  meet  them  at  that  hour  for  the  purpose  of 
a  little  friendly  chat.  The  boys  promised  to  be  on 
hand  at  the  appointed  time,  and  then  departed  to  their 
respective  homes,  really  feeling  the  need  of  the  rest 
recommended  by  their  good  friend  the  squire,  after  the 
arduous  and  effective  duties  of  the  preceding  night. 


308  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 


CHAPTER    XXVIII. 

CONCLUSION. 

T  the  appointed  hour  and  usual  place  the 
Invincibles  assembled  in  full  numbers,  but 
without  arms  or  equipments,  as  they  enter- 
tained no  fears  of  meeting  rebel  pirates,  or  any  other 
enemy,  on  this  occasion,  although  they  were  wholly 
in  the  dark  as  to  the  nature  of  the  "chat"  hinted 
at  by  their  friends.  However,  they  were  always  quite 
ready  to  comply  with  any  expressed  wish  of  Colonel 
White  or  Squire  Belmont,  to  whom  they  felt  them- 
selves to  be  deeply  indebted  for  much  good  advice 
and  many  substantial  favors.  They  felt  assured,  fur- 
thermore, that  by  becoming  a  party  to  the  proposed 
"  chat,"  the  time  thus  spent  would  be  turned  to  some 
good  account. 

Those  members  of  the  company  who  had  taken  no 
part  in  the  adventure  of  the  previous  night  could  not 
but  feel  some  degree  of  chagrin  at  what  they  con- 
sidered a  loss  of  individual  honor.  As  they  consisted 


THE    YOUNG   INVINCIBLES.  309 

altogether  of  the  younger  portion  of  the  Invincibles, 
however,  and  as  it  was  well  understood  that  they 
had  been  restrained  by  their  parents,  their  feelings 
were  conciliated  as  far  as  possible,  rather  than  tan- 
talized, by  their  companions  who  had  more  directly 
reaped  the  honors. 

This  generous  conduct  on  the  part  of  the  older 
boys,  together  with  the  pride  they  all  felt  individ- 
ually in  whatever  conferred  honor  upon  the  company 
as  a  whole,  quickly  dispelled  the  slight  mortification 
that  was  at  first  manifested  by  some  of  the  more 
sensitive  of  the  younger  members  as  they  assembled 
on  this  occasion.  George  Herrick  had  always  mildly 
censured  everything  that  had  an  appearance  of  per- 
sonal pique  or  ill  will  in  one  member  towards  another, 
and  as  the  whole  company  almost  idolized  their  noble 
young  captain,  it  was  seldom,  if  ever,  that  other  than 
the  best  of  understanding  existed  among  them.  And 
this  was  one  great  secret  of  their  improvement  and 
success ;  for  we  have  the  very  highest  authority  for 
the  assertion  that  "  a  house  divided  against  itself 
shall  not  stand"  —  and  the  application  holds  equally 
good  with  regard  to  a  company  of  boys  as  to  a  union 
of  states. 

The  Invincibles  did  not  wait  many  moments  for 
their  two  worthy  patrons,  both  of  whom  were  gen- 


310  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 

tlemen  of  promptness,  whether  their  appointments 
were  made  with  boys,  for  a  mere  social  gathering, 
or  with  men,  in  matters  of  the  utmost  importance. 
They  advanced  and  greeted  the  company,  and  then 
Squire  Belmont  said,  — 

"  My  brave  boys :  When  I  requested  you  to  as- 
semble here  this  evening,  it  was  simply  for  the  purpose 
of  giving  Colonel  White  and  myself  an  opportunity  to 
say  a  few  encouraging  words  to  you  with  regard  to 
the  advancement  you  have  made  in  military  exercises, 
and  to  offer  you  a  slight  testimonial  of  the  appreci- 
ation in  which  we  hold  the  services  you  rendered  the 
country  by  your  prompt  and  energetic  action  last 
night.  But  my  pleasure  has  been  greatly  enhanced, 
as  undoubtedly  yours  will  be,  by  an  acknowledg- 
ment from  a  high  quarter  of  those  same  services. 
The  promptness  of  the  acknowledgment  is  evidence 
of  the  importance  attached  to  the  matter,  and  shows 
that  government  recognizes  and  appreciates  every  loyal 
blow  struck  for  the  Union.  By  this  afternoon's  mail 
from  "Capeland,  I  received  a  brief  note  from  Col- 
lector Jewell,  enclosing  a  telegram  from  Washington, 
which  he  was  instructed  to  forward  to  the  parties 
immediately  interested.  If  such  is  the  desire  of  the 
company,  it  will  afford  me  much  pleasure  to  read 
the  despatch." 


THE    YOUNG  IX VINCIBLE S.  311 

It  is  scarcely  necessary  to  say  that  such  was  the 
unanimous  wish.  The  squire  then  proceeded  to  read 
the  following :  — 

TREASURY  DEPARTMENT, 

WASHINGTON, ,  1863. 

MR.  JEWELL: 

Your  despatch,  giving  information  of  the  attempt 
to  capture  or  burn  the  new  government  ship  General 
Grant,  at  Harryseekit,  is  received.  Please  tender  the 
sincere  thanks  of  this  department,  of  the  government, 
and  of  the  whole  loyal  country  to  that  brave  com- 
pany of  boys,  the  "Young  Invincibles,"  for  their 
noble  defence  of  the  ship,  and  the  capture  of  the 
pirates.  The  name  of  the  young  commander,  who 
planned  and  executed  the  enterprise  so  successfully, 
has  been  enrolled  on  the  list  of  those  who  have 
distinguished  themselves  in  their  country's  behalf. 

The  secretary  of  war  says,  hold  the  prisoners  for 

future  action. 

CHASE. 

"  Bravo  !  "  cried  Uncle  Bill,  who  was  an  interested 
listener.  "  George,  didn't  I  tell  you  that  you  ought 
to  be  a  commodore?" 

"  Three  rousing  cheers  for  Secretary  Chase  !  "  cried 
a  dozen  voices  at  the  same  moment. 


312  PATEIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 

The  cheers  were  most  heartily  given.  Squire  Bel- 
mont  then  proceeded  to  say, — 

"  Now,  boys,  as  you  have  had  the  glory,  I  will 
hasten  to  the  substantial  part  of  the  object  in  calling 
you  together.  The  selectmen,  and  other  prominent 
citizens,  are  of  opinion,  after  the  high-handed  attempt 
of  the  pirates  last  night,  that  we  require  a  '  Home 
Guard,'  and  that  you  have  shown  yourselves  fully 
competent  to  act  as  such.  I  made  the  suggestion  to 
the  fathers  of  the  town,  that,  in  consideration  of  your 
services  last  night,  and  for  what  you  may  be  called 
upon  to  do  in  the  future,  you  were  justly  entitled  to 
some  remuneration  ;  and  as  I  have  noticed  that  your 
uniforms  are  becoming  a  little  rusty,  and  that  some 
of  you  look  as  if  you  had  marched  a  trifle  too  far 
through  your  pantaloons,  I  proposed  that  the  town 
should  furnish  you  with  a  new  uniform.  The  prop- 
osition was  favorably  received ;  but  the  appropriation 
will  have  to  be  made  by  vote  at  town  meeting.  I 
had  no  idea,  however,  of  waiting  for  the  town  ma- 
chinery to  move.  Mr.  Cutter  has  already  received 
instructions  to  furnish  the  whole  company  with  such 
a  uniform  as  you  may  decide  upon ;  and  if  the  town 
is  not  unanimous  in  a  vote  to  pay  the  bill,  I  will 
cheerfully  pay  it  myself." 

The   boys  responded  to  this  gratifying  and  wholly 


THE    YOUNG  INVINCIBLE S.  313 

unexpected  announcement  by  giving  three  tremen- 
dous cheers  for  Squire  Belmont.  As  the  excitement 
somewhat  subsided,  it  was  observed  that  the  squire 
frequently  turned  his  eyes  up  the  street,  in  the  direc- 
tion of  his  residence,"  as  if  in  expectation  of  some 
one  from  that  quarter.  Presently  a  smile  of  satis- 
faction came  over  his  handsome  face,  and  he  turned 
to  the  captain  of  the  Young  Invincibles,  and  said,  — 

"To  you,  George,  I  wish  to  give  some  tangible 
proof  of  the  esteem  in  which  I  hold  you  for  the 
faithful  and  judicious  manner  in  which  you  have  so 
long  commanded  your  company,  and  more  partic- 
ularly for  your  prompt  action  last  night,  whereby  a 
valuable  ship  has  been  saved  to  the  government,  and 
ten  rascally  pirates  secured  for  the  gallows  —  /  hope." 

At  this  moment  Squire  Belmont's  coachman  rode 
up  to  the  party  on  that  gentleman's  splendid  young 
horse,  "  Speed."  As  the  man  dismounted,  the  squire 
took  the  horse  by  the  bridle,  patted  him  caressingly 
on  his  neck  for  a  moment,  and  then  led  him  along 
to  George,  saying,  — 

"  Speed,  I  take  much  pleasure  in  introducing  you 
to  your  new  master,  Captain  George  Herrick ; "  and 
slipping  the  bridle  over  the  youth's  arm,  the  generous 
donor  stepped  back  and  rejoined  Colonel  White  with- 
out another  word. 


314  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 

For  once,  the  lad  appeared  to  be  overcome  by  sur- 
prise. He  stood  for  a  few  moments  in  silence,  with 
his  eyes  fixed  on  the  beautiful  animal  before  him. 

"George,  hadn't  you  better  thank  the  squire?" 
suggested  Tom  Sprightly.  "Or  shall  I  take  the 
horse,  and  do  the  thanks'?" 

"  I'm  much  obliged  to  you,  Tom.  You  may  hold 
the  horse,  but  I  think  I'll  try  to  thank  our  good 
friend  myself;"  and  passing  the  bridle  over  to  Tom, 
George  approached  the  donor,  and  said,  — 

"  Squire  Belmont,  this  is  a  complete  surprise  to 
me ;  and  I  can  only  find  words  to  say  that  I  sin- 
cerely thank  you  for  this  most  generous  deed,  and 
hope  that  I  may  in  the  future  really  earn  a  title  to 
this  magnificent  present  which  you  have  prematurely 
bestowed  upon  me." 

"  I  am  perfectly  willing  to  take  your  past  conduct 
as  a  guarantee  for  the  future,"  replied  the  squire, 
with  a  benevolent  smile. 

"  Three  more  cheers  for  Squire  Belmont ! "  cried 
Tom  Sprightly,  who  was  as  much  elated  at  his  young 
friend's  good  fortune  as  he  would  have  been  to  be 
the  lucky  recipient  himself. 

"As  the  sounds  of  the  applause  died  away,  the 
squire  said, — 

"  Now,  boys,  three  rousing  cheers  for  your  brave 


THE    YOUNO  INVINCIBLE S.  315 

young  captain,  whose  first  blow  was  for  his  mother, 
and  his  second  for  his  country  !  " 

The  hearty  response  to  this  call  was  indisputable 
evidence  of  the  high  regard  in  which  George  Herrick 
was  held,  not  merely  by  his  immediate  associates,  but 
by  the  good  people  of  the  village  at  large  —  numbers 
of  whom  were  assembled  on  the  parade-ground  as 
spectators  to  this  pleasing  little  aifair,  and  who  most 
readily  united  their  voices  with  those  of  the  Invinci- 
bles  in  doing  honor  to  the  prompt,  brave,  and  patriotic 
young  commander. 

Colonel  White  now  stepped  forward,  and  every 
sound  was  hushed  in  a  moment. 

"  My  esteemed  young  friends,"  began  the  old  gen- 
tleman, "  this  is  a  happy  occasion  to  us  all.  I  con- 
gratulate you  on  your  great  advancement  in  military 
discipline,  as  well  as  for  the  favor  and  respect  you 
have  established  for  yourselves  in  the  breasts  of  all 
good  citizens  by  your  orderly  conduct  and  ready 
patriotism  on  all  occasions.  Contrast  your  present 
position  with  that  of  Jack  Dunham !  Had  he  taken 
an  interest  in  his  country's  cause,  as  you  have  done, 
he  might  at  the  present  time  be  happy  and  respected, 
instead  of  occupying  a  prison  with  rebel  pirates ! 
My  boys,  there  is  nothing  like  keeping  a  great  and 
good  object  constantly  in  view. 


316  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OR 

"The  munificence  of  our  good  friend  here,  the 
squire,  has  left  nothing  for  me  to  offer  but  a  few- 
words  of  encouragement,  which  I  have  no  doubt  you 
will  kindly  receive  from  an  old  man  who  can  now 
do  littje  else  than  talk. 

"I  am  happy  to  say  that  my  expectations  with 
regard  to  your  military  improvement  have  been  more 
than  realized.  The  interest  and  the  spirit  with  which 
you  entered  into  the  movement,  and  which  you  have 
never  allowed  for  a  moment  to  flag,  have  resulted 
in  honor  to  yourselves,  and  to  the  good  old  town 
of  Harryseekit. 

"You  have  set  an  example  that  is  already  being 
followed  in  other  towns  and  states,  and  the  subject 
of  military  instruction  to  boys  has  been  broached, 
even,  in  some  of  the  state  legislatures.  You  have 
not  only  gained  much  useful  military  knowledge,  but, 
by  making  patriotism  at  home  your  watchword,  you 
have  done  much  to  strengthen  love  for  the  Union  in 
older  hearts  —  for  men  shame  to  falter  when  boys 
stand  up  in  the  front  rank. 

"  My  young  friends,  I  come  now  to  your  crown- 
ing glory  —  the  achievement  of  last  night.  It  was  a 
plan  well  conceived,  and  most  admirably  carried  out. 
The  result  has  stamped  you  as  brave  soldiers  and  true 
patriots,  and  brought  you  prominently  to  the  notice 


THE  YOUNG  INVINCIBLE S.  317 

of  the  government.  I  am  satisfied  that  you  are  fully 
competent  to  act  independently.  Your  present  efficient 
officers  need  no  further  instruction  from  me.  I  am 
forced  to  admit,  that,  if  I  had  been  at  home  last 
evening,  I  should  probably  have  advised  a  different 
course  than  the  one  pursued  with  regard  to  the  de- 
fence of  the  General  Grant.  But  no  other  course  of 
action  could  have  resulted  any  better ;  and  the  honor 
is  all  yours. 

"My  brave  boys,  I  have  only  to  add,  Go  on  in 
your  well  doing.  Be  certain  of  the  direction  in  which 
duty  leads,  and  unhesitatingly  follow  it.  You  know 
•that  my  idea  is,  that  no  one  under  eighteen  should 
enlist  in  the  army.  None  of  you  have  reached  that 
age  as  yet ;  but  I  fear  many  of  you  •  will  reach  it 
before  this  terrible  war  is  brought  to  a  close.  And 
there  may  possibly  be  a  critical  period  in  this  great 
struggle  when  it  will  be  necessary  for  government  to 
throw  overwhelming  numbers  suddenly  into  the  field 
at  some  given  point  —  in  which  case  I  might  say  '  Go ' 
to  some  hardy  youth  who  had  not  quite  reached  the 
standard  age  which  I  have  set  up. 

"  The  hour  has  not  yet  come  when  the  cause  iu 
the  field  really  demands  your  assistance.  In  the  mean 
time,  continue  your  good  efforts  here.  There  is  much 
more  to  be  accomplished,  both  at  home  and  in  the 


318  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME,    OB 

field,  before  peace  will  be  restored.  But  wherever 
duty  points,  there  will  be  found,  I  feel  well  assured, 
the  Young  Invincibles." 

The  perfect  silence  which  had  been  maintained 
during  the  feeling  remarks  of  Colonel  White  contin- 
ued for  some  moments  after  he  ceased  to  speak.  His 
young  friends'  hearts  were  too  full  for  cheers.  Di- 
rectly there  was  a  simultaneous  rush  made  by  the 
boys  more  closely  around  the  kind  old  gentleman, 
each  one  endeavoring  to  seize  him  by  the  hand  or 
arm,  as  if  fearful  lest  their  best  friend  and  instructor 
was  about  to  withdraw  his  protecting  shield  from  over 
their  heads.  More  than  one  eye  gathered  moisture 
as  the  boys  thus  clung  and  hovered  about  him  like 
a  swarm  of  bees. 

Squire  Belmont,  thinking  that  this  demonstration 
of  the  boys  might  prove  to  be  too  much  for  his  aged 
friend,  somewhat  changed  the  scene  by  pointing  to- 
wards the  fence  close  by,  which  our  old  sailor  friend 
was  just  mounting,  and  suddenly  calling  out,  — 

"  A  speech  from  Uncle  Bill !  " 

The  cry  took  with  the  crowd,  and  "  A  speech  from 
Uncle  Bill ! "  was  so  clamorously  called  for,  that  the 
old  seaman  saw  no  way  of  escape,  and,  to  use  one 
of  his  own  favorite  expressions,  he  decided  to  "  heave 
ahead." 


THE    YOUNG  INVINCIBLE S.  319 

"  Boys,"  commenced  Uncle  Bill,  taking  off  his  hat 
and  throwing  it  upon  the  ground,  "  if  I  was  only  on 
a  ship's  deck,  and  you  were  sailor  lads,  I  should 
know  just  what  to  say;  but,  as  it  is,  I  s'pose  I 
shall  soon  get  out  of  my  reck'ning. 

"  Well,  my  brave  boys,  as  I  sailed  under  your 
orders  last  night,  I  can  testify  that  you  run  down 
upon  the  pirates  handsomely  on  the  windward  tack, 
took  the  wind  out  of  their  sails,  and  cut  them  down 
to  the  water  line  when  everything  was  shaking.  The 
thing  was  done  shipshape. 

11  Now,  boys,  Fm  going  to  make  a  prophecy,  —  not 
a  sixty  days'  one,  —  and  that  is,  that  the  whole  '  se- 
cesh'  crew  of  the  South  will  finally  have  to  strike 
their  colors  to  our  forces,  just  as  the  pirates  did  to 
you  last  night;  for,  you  see,  they're  in  a  condemned 
ship,  they've  thrown  the  safe  old  Union  chart  over- 
board, and  they're  sailing  without  a  compass.  So, 
you  see,  they'll  just  go  round  and  round,  land  right 
where  they  started  from,  won't  know  their  best  friends, 
and  —  will  lose  all  their  niggers  !  " 

Uncle  Bill's  speech  "  brought  down  the  house," 
and  lifted  the  oppression  from  the  spirits  of  the  boys. 

Colonel  White  once  more  addressed  the  youthful 
throng,  saying, — 

"  Do   not  for    a   moment    think,   my   dear  young 


320  PATRIOTISM  AT  HOME. 

friends,  that  in  taking  leave  of  you  as  your  instructor, 
I  lose  any  of  my  interest  in  you  individually  or  col- 
lectively. Far  from  it.  So  long  as  you  continue  true 
to  our  beneficent  Father  in  heaven,  to  the  Union, 
and  to  yourselves,  you  may  count  upon  me  as  your 
stanch  advocate  and  friend." 

And  here,  kind  reader,  we  must  all,  for  the  present, 
take  our  leave  of  the  Young  Invincibles  and  the  other 
characters  who  have  figured  in  the  story.  Perhaps 
strict  justice  to  George  Herrick's  character  demands 
of  us  at  this  time  to  say  that  there  is  no  evidence  to 
show  that  he  has  forgotten  his  silent,  solemn  pledge 
to  Lizzie  Swift  beside  the  death-bed  of  her  mother. 
Neither  would  we  have  the  silence  on  the  part  of 
Lucy  White  as  regards  her  great  indebtedness  to  Tom 
Sprightly  interpreted  to  her  disadvantage.  So  long  as 
all  these  young  persons  themselves  are  true  friends, 
less  interested  parties  have  no  right  to  complain. 

Should  the  indulgent  reader  feel  sufficient  interest 
in  the  "Young  Invincibles"  to  follow  their  fortunes 
farther,  it  may  result  that  "  Patriotism  at  Home " 
was  followed  by  Valor  in  the  Field,  thus  showing 
The  Success  of  True  Merit. 


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